Preventing road accidents: Focus on driver
At the second annual general and scientific meeting of the Orthopaedic Association of Ghana on Friday, May 3, 2022, Dr Lawrence Ofori-Boadu provided data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) showing that in 2019, transport-related injuries alone accounted for about 93,379 cases that were reported.
In 2020, the figure increased to 111,931 cases, while in 2021, transport-related injuries recorded were 125,673. (Ref. Daily Graphic May 16, 2022).
Advertisement
These statistics are worrying and require urgent action from those responsible for road transport safety in Ghana. Ghana currently ranks 46th out of 183 countries assessed in the world with a death rate of 31.33 per 100,000 persons annually (Ref. www.worldlifeexpectancy.com) as of August 28, 2022.
The current body of knowledge on accident prevention indicates that accidents occur largely because of management or management system failures.
The question in Ghana is: Which public institution(s) is or are responsible for management of safety on our roads? Who is responsible for safety on our roads in Ghana?
Per Section 2 of Act 569 (which set up DVLA), the responsibility for prevention of road traffic accidents in Ghana has been entrusted to the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Section 2 of the act states: “The object of the authority is to promote good driving standards in the country; and ensure the use of roadworthy vehicles on the roads and in other public places.”
Functions
The functions of the authority are listed under Section 3 as follows:
Establish standards and methods for the training and testing of driving instructors and drivers of motor vehicles and riders of motor cycle; establish standards and methods for the training and testing of vehicle examiners; provide syllabus for driver training and the training of instructors; issue driving licences; register and license driving schools; license driving instructors; inspect, test and register motor vehicles; issue vehicle registration certificates; issue vehicle examination certificates:
license and regulate private garages to undertake vehicle testing; maintain registers containing particulars of licensed motor vehicles, driving instructors, driving schools and drivers of motor vehicles; advise the minister on policy formulation and development strategy for the achievement of the object of the authority; ensure strict compliance with this act and regulations made under it; and carry out such other functions as are incidental to the attainment of the object of the authority.
Other Trending Stories
Foremost
Based on Sections 2 and 3 of Act 569, it is evident that the DVLA can be singled out as the foremost entity in the prevention of road traffic accidents. The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the police service only provide services to support the core functions of the DVLA.
Act 683, L. I. 2192 and L. I. 2180 provide further details to support the core functions of the DVLA. The DVLA is, therefore, central to accident prevention on our roads in Ghana.
Although the NRSA has graduated from a “Commission” to an “Authority”, that authority is yet to have any meaningful impact, if it ever will. The role of the police is very well known and so are their strengths and weaknesses, and the least said, the better.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) may disagree, but there is no denying what the public knows.
If these three institutions, however, conducted themselves professionally to complement one another as required, there is no doubt that there will be significant improvements in road traffic accidents in Ghana.
Challenges
Statistics have consistently concluded that driver error is responsible for most road crashes. In any good accident investigation and analysis process the next questions will be: Are the drivers effectively trained? What are the qualities of instructors?
Are the drivers properly screened and assessed? What is the difference between the process of obtaining a driving licence in Ghana and the UK, Germany, US, Japan, etc?
An answer to the above questions will lead us to one office, the DVLA. If we accept that over 80 per cent of accidents are due to human error, then we should ask the DVLA many uncomfortable questions.
A very pertinent and foremost question amongst others to the DVLA would be: Is the issuance/renewal of a driving licence and the regular inspection/testing of vehicles just a revenue generation activity or a public safety activity?
The regular blaming of “Goro Boys” for systemic weaknesses by the DVLA is unacceptable, because the “Goro Boys” are agents of DVLA staff.
The “Goro Boy” syndrome can be dealt with decisively if DVLA management is willing to deal decisively with corrupt staff within the DVLA. The attempt to also attribute high rate of accidents to high speed is not acceptable as people in many developed countries drive faster than we do in Ghana. The biggest challenge in Ghana is that most people issued with driving licences by the DVLA are not competent to drive.
The evidence in our road crash statistics clearly shows that the DVLA has failed to perform the PUBLIC SAFETY role assigned it.
This cannot and should not be whitewashed.
The supervision of driving schools and Private Vehicle Testing Stations (PVTS) has been a disaster. Commercial buses, heavy-duty vehicles and some private vehicles have refused to visit PVTS to be tested, but most of them remain “roadworthy” and continue to ply our roads with thousands of passengers.
Publication
In a publication in the Daily Graphic of March 12, 2022 (publication # 21836), the acting Deputy Director for Vehicle Testing, Eric Bentil Addison, was quoted as saying approximately 35 per cent (1,025,125) of vehicles had not been inspected or tested in 2021.
The Ghana Police Service has been so demoralised that officers are unable to effectively enforce road traffic regulations. The consistent violation of traffic regulations by the political class (the MP whose vehicle was stopped along the GIMPA stretch, the minister who threatened police officers along the Cape Coast stretch and many more), public servants, uniformed and undercover security agencies has created a complete breakdown in law and order on our roads.
It is no secret that military personnel behave like a law onto themselves on our roads. They do not respect traffic regulations and their violent clashes with the police has made the police weary. The misconduct and complete disregard for traffic regulations by the military is very noticeable on the Michel Camp – Afariwa junction stretch.
All security agencies and uniformed units are doing same now. The recklessness and disregard for traffic regulations are also very notable when these security agencies are attending funerals at weekends.
The bad behaviour and consistent bullying of the police service has compounded road safety management and created security challenges that need to be urgently addressed.
Any Toyota Land Cruiser V8 (or similar vehicle) today can drive from one end of the country to the other in convoys without being stopped by police. Dispatch riders are also for hire at the click of a finger.
These are the standards we are setting for ourselves as a nation because 4x4 vehicles and more specifically the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicle depict status rather than function in Ghana.
Resolving
The government must, through the relevant ministry, get the DVLA to focus on its core mandate of ensuring safety on our roads.
The performance metrics for DVLA must be thoroughly reviewed and revenue generation must be the least of them.
Key performance targets for DVLA must include the rate of reduction of road traffic accidents, quality and integrity of their processes, the quality of vehicles determined to be roadworthy, etc.
If the DVLA makes money while delivering on its core mandate, hurray!!! The government must, therefore, resource the DVLA to work effectively. Inasmuch as all road users, as stakeholders, have roles to play in reducing road traffic crashes, it is unacceptable to blame road users when government policies and actions are not synchronised to produce desired results.
While we call on the government to resource the DVLA, its officers must also demonstrate more responsible management of resources allocated. For instance the DVLA installed at least seven roller brake testing equipment throughout this country a few years ago, but none of these functioned long enough if they ever worked.
If these equipment had been professionally installed, operated and maintained, they could have operated for 10 years without a hitch. DVLA also procured a mobile brake testing equipment which was parked at the 37 DVLA office for many years.
To ensure improved road transport safety in Ghana, leadership of the DVLA and the police service must look beyond political patronage and act according to the letter and spirit of the laws that govern these institutions.
Unfortunately, building strong institutions in our current circumstances requires strong men and women. Strong men and women are required during the inception and transformation of institutions to mould and shape the character of these institutions. Only then do these institutions develop a self-sustaining character.
It is hoped that the zeal with which the new IGP commenced his duty has not waned.
The politicians and all security agencies, including the military must be called to order on our roads. They must all respect road traffic regulations and stop abusing and threatening the police. All citizens must learn to drive properly, acquire driving licences through legitimate means and obey traffic regulations.
The writer is the Vice-President, Ghana Institution of Engineering.
