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1.6% of GDP lost annually to road traffic crashes

By Sheila BOTWE

11,400 road traffic crashes, 1,800 fatalities and 14,000 injuries annually cost the nation 1.6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Vice President John Dramani Mahama said this in a statement at the official launch of the United Nations Decade of Action on road safety and the National Road Safety Strategy 111 in Accra.

The Vice President, in the speech read on his behalf, said an assessment of the road safety situation shows that, there has been a general improvement in the institutional, regulatory framework, human resource capacity for road safety management and general awareness levels.

What however has been lacking was the political will and funding levels required to halt rising trend in road traffic deaths and injuries.

He however noted that the government is considering a proposal, in line with global best practice, to allocate 5% of annual revenue from the road fund, 5% from motor insurance premium, 5% from vehicle registration and inspection to help provide the sustainable funding required to fund road safety programmes and activities on a consistent basis.

It is estimated that, a total of about US$100 billion is lost annually in solving some of these incidents on our roads. As a result, The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the period 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, with the goal of stabilizing and reducing the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world by increasing activities conducted at the national, regional and global levels.

Minister of Roads and Highways, Joe Gidusu, said the Multilateral Development Bank launched, “The Road Safety Initiative” which allows for the “Joint Statement” on road safety by the “Seven Banks” in November 2009 committing to a coordinated response to road deaths and injuries, not least through improving safety measures in road improvement projects funded by the banks and building institutional capacity within countries.

According to him, his ministry will collaborate with the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to pursue the World Bank’s policy that governments must ensure that a minimum of 10% of the road development and maintenance budget is earmarked for road safety audit, the provision of road safety furniture and other associated engineering measures.

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