5TH UN GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK – OBR SAFETY ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE
BY RICHARD KARIKARI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF OLIBEST ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION, A KUMASI BASED NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION AT 5TH UN GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK

THE NEED FOR STRONG LEADERSHIP

From 6 – 12 May 2019 the UN Global Road Safety Week will take place. The theme will be ‘Leadership for Road Safety’. The Global Road Safety Week is to generate a demand for stronger leadership for road safety worldwide to help achieve SDG and other road safety targets.

It is widely acknowledged that stronger leadership for road safety is needed to achieve Vision Zero. To effect change, leadership is needed at many levels: global, national, municipal and community levels, and within various types of organizations, including governments, international agencies, NGOs, foundations, schools and universities, and private companies. Enlightened leaders are able to provide a vision of what the future might look like and mobilize action to achieve this.

Thousands of advocates worldwide are taking the opportunity of the Week to #SpeakUp for road safety and call for urgent action on the concrete interventions which have proven to save lives.

On the occasion of the 5th UN Global Road Safety Week, the CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF OLIBEST ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION, A NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION would like to encourage everyone in Ghana to think about what Road Safety means for this country.

OLIBEST ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION believes that, this is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility. Whether we travel as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or drivers, all of us – as parents, students, employees, volunteers, and concerned citizens – can be leaders for road safety. When the right to a safe journey is a priority, everybody wins!

As of today’s event highlights, the need to make our roads safer is a complex and evolving problem at the national and international level. Safety is a fundamental right and an essential condition for the sustainable development of society.

Importantly, it is also saving lives by investing in engineering solutions, such as getting trucks off the road and continuing to fund local improvements through the Roads to Recovery.
On these roads, even a slight decrease in speed can greatly lessen the likelihood of death or serious injury. Lowering motorists’ speeds in built-up areas can also make an enormous contribution to lowering unacceptably high pedestrian fatality rates.

Lack of education, safety standards, proper training, and technology, over speeding, fatigue, drugs abuse, as well as alcoholism by some recalcitrant roads users, are the basic reasons for the rise in road accidents in Ghana. Experts also believe that poor implementation of traffic rules, over speeding, reckless driving, and unawareness about basic traffic rules are some of the major factors responsible for the growing number of accidents in the country but OLIBEST ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION is taking the mantle upon themselves to embark on massive nationwide campaign on road safety tips, a visit to churches and mosques for further enlightenment..

OLIBEST ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION observes that it is pertinent to mention that road accident not only killed and injured many people but the economic cost of road accidents and injuries is also very high. However, despite economic lost road safety education is not a prioritized area of concern for the government we are therefore calling on the governments to prioritize roads safety.

Also over 200 drivers within Kumasi Metropolis will receive free eye screening while victims of road accident admitted at the OkomfoAnokye Teaching Hospital will be visited and given the opportunity to share their opinions on the major reasons for an accident in which they have witnessed.

We want drivers, Police officers, and other stakeholders to participate this year’s events with keen interests as we appeal to both pedestrians and drivers to be vigilant and careful in their movements when using the roads to prevent accidents. We noted that speed is a critical element of the Safe System approach, both in terms of ensuring speed limits are appropriate for the roads and environment, and that road users comply with speed limits.

Surveys show that people know higher speeds increase the risk of crashing and make crashes more severe. But we still see considerable community resistance to reductions in speed limits, understandably because of the perceived impacts on time and efficiency.

Road safety has become a priority at the highest levels of global politics.

It should also be a personal priority.

Thank you

Issued by:
RICHARD KARIKARI
CEO OF OLIBEST ROAD SAFETY ORGANIZATION
TEL : 0244 460 352/0501 495 402