The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has sensitized residents of Pelungu in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region on the prevention of road crashes as part of measures to reduce the menace in the region. 

The sensitization formed part of the NRSA’s Christmas road safety campaign dubbed: 'Arrive Alive' which aims at intensifying road safety education to control crashes and fatalities often heightened during festivities.     

The officials of NRSA educated road users and distributed educative materials to residents.   

Speaking on the sidelines of the programme, Mr Dennis Yeribu, the Upper East Regional Director of NRSA, said road users needed to obtain knowledge on road traffic signs and safety precautions.   

He said basic knowledge and adherence to road safety protocols would help reduce the unnecessary crashes that led to the loss of several lives daily. 

He said irresponsible road behaviour such as drunkenness, over speeding and lack of crash helmets, among others, remained a threat to human lives and charged residents to desist from them.   

Mr Yeribu said ensuring accident-free Christmas remained a collective responsibility of every road user and urged the populace to be advocates of their safety.   

Mrs Felicia Dok, a trader in Pelungu market, commended NRSA, describing the exercise as timely.   

She recounted how several accidents usually occurred in the market square due to over speeding and carelessness.   

"The recklessness here is too much, we witness accidents almost every day, yet it does not deter reckless motorists," she said.   Mrs Dok called on the government to construct roads in the community as the poor roads were also contributing to accidents.   

Mr Christopher Sarka, a resident of Pelungu, bemoaned the rate at which children below age 18 were allowed to operate tricycles on commercial bases in the community.   He described the situation as alarming and called on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to stop it.