The Volta Region has recorded minimal decrease in road traffic fatalities in the last quarter of 2012. There were 42 deaths between September and December, 2012, as against 49 for the same period in 2011, a decrease of 14 per cent. Mr Sebastian Akyeampong, Regional Manager of National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) made this known in an interview with the GNA at Ho. He said road crashes, however, recorded a significant hike from 736 in 2011 to 955 in 2012, with 318 injuries in 2012 as against 185 in 2011. Mr Akyeampong attributed the hike in road traffic crashes to over-speeding and wrongful overtaking, especially on “improved roads” in the South Tongu District in the southern part of the Region. The NRSC Regional Manager said "careless driving on poor road stretches” on the Asikuma-Hohoe highway recorded the highest crashes in the region describing this as “a great worry.” He added that some of the crashes in the last quarter of 2012 were due to political activities and the Christmas festivities. He said the Regional Office of the NRSC had declared 2013 as a year of action with focus on pedestrian crossing safety, safety of school children and road safety education for bus drivers and motor cyclists.