Death on Ghana´s roads affects the whole society.
In Ghana, the native country of road safety engineer Patience Onny,
more than 9000 people died in road accidents in the years 2001-2005 and
more than 28 000 were seriously injured. The hidden figure may be even
higher. More people die and are seriously injured in traffic than from
AIDS and it is a human and economic problem of major proportions.
In
Ghana road safety is a subject for which ultimate responsibility is at
national level, with certain duties devolved to regional and local
level. Patience Onny, Joe-Fred Peseo, Director of Road Safety and
Environment, and John Noble Appiah, executive director, all come from
the Ministry of Road Transport. Their job is to devise strategies and
measures that will make the roads safer for all the parties concerned.
The
cost of road accidents burdens the whole social apparatus and even if
safety is a priority area, the financial support from the state is far
from sufficient. The support of foreign aid bodies, funds and
organizations does not cover the need. The aim of the team has therefore
been to make the insurance companies see the advantages of increased
road safety and help with concrete action and finance. The method is
used successfully in many other countries all over the world.
“In
the long term the insurance companies gain from road safety – the fewer
accidents, the less the amount paid in compensation. There is an
awareness of this in the insurance industry and there is some investment
even at present but much more can be done,” in Patience Onny’s opinion.
In
order to succeed the authorities need both better information from the
companies than is given at present and also reliable accident statistics
from the police so that resources are invested in the right things. The
aim is to bring about workshops for different interest groups and to
organize lobbying activities addressed to the insurance companies.
For
Patience Onny, the Road Traffic Safety education programme has brought a
more detailed knowledge and greater understanding of the complexity of
road safety problems.
“It is a good programme and it is always
useful to go to other countries and to see what has been done there. I
have also been able to meet other people working in the same field and
to share experiences.”
Patience Onny is now going further
in the road safety field by studying for a master’s degree at Newcastle
University in England.
Sidansvarig: Deana Nannskog Webbansvarig: Michael Sellers
Ansvarig utgivare: LU Education
Last modified 27 Nov 2008
