The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has called on the citizenry to be responsible for their safety when using the roads to help reduce road traffic crashes in the country.

The Western Regional Head of NRSA, Victor Kojo Bilson, who made the call, said human factors such as negligence and over-speeding contributed to over 90 per cent of crashes on the roads, hence users must always take charge of their personal safety.

He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Takoradi on the backdrop of a report indicating an increase in road traffic crashes recorded in the region.

 The region had recorded a marginal increase in road traffic crashes in the first half of 2023 as against the same period last year.

Between January and June of 2023, a total of 374 road crashes were recorded, compared to 354 during the same period in 2022, representing a variant increase of 20.

Mr Bilson said the crashes occurred as a result of human, mechanical or engineering factors, but the human factor contributed highly to those cases.

“The number one enforcers of road safety protocols are the users taking personal responsibility, because if that one fails, then every other system fails,” he said.

He, thus, appealed to road users to strictly abide by all safety rules and regulations to curb the rampant incidence of accidents in the country.

Mr Bilson encouraged various stakeholders, including the media, to support the NRSA in its efforts to promote best practices on the roads to help reduce accidents.