The Mirror's Health , Lifestyle and Fashion
Can I drive without fire extinguishers, first aid kit in vehicle?
I am asking this question because the Police on some of our major roads have taken to harassing drivers without these equipment, even where they are placed in the boot of the vehicles. I am beginning to think the behaviour of the Police is a ploy to rob the drivers of their hard-earned sales.
Kwame Aberebese, Sunyani
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Dear Kwame, motor vehicles plying the roads are regulated by the Road Traffic Act and its regulations. To safeguard the safety of the users as well as the pedestrians, fare paying passengers and other road users, provision has been made in the law for each motor vehicle to install certain vital equipment to fall on in the event of any emergency. Some of the equipment required by the law are as follows:
Fire extinguisher: The Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, L.I. 2180 provides that any person who drives a motor vehicle or trailer shall ensure that the motor vehicle or trailer has in a readily accessible position, at least, one fire extinguisher which is of a multi- purpose dry chemical powder type or a halogenated hydrocarbon type, and in good working order. For saloon and sports utility vehicles, the law provides that the size of fire extinguisher must be one kilogramme while three to six kilogrammes is required for bigger vehicles such as buses, commercial vehicles and articulator trucks.
First aid kit: The law also provides that a person who drives a motor vehicle or trailer on the road shall ensure that the motor vehicle or trailer carries, in a readily accessible position, a first aid kit which contains medication including analgesic, bandage, cotton balls, plaster, gauze pads, hand gloves, mentholated spirits, scissors, liniments, gentian violet and antiseptic wipes.
Advance warning triangle: The regulations provide that every driver of a motor vehicle whose vehicle is stationary on a road at night shall give adequate advance warning to approaching drivers of the obstacle which his vehicle constitutes by placing an advance warning triangle or a red or amber blinker traffic lantern of approved candle light, at a suitable point both at the rear and front of the vehicle and at a distance from the vehicle sufficient to give the said warning but which shall not in any case be less than 50 metres.
The advance warning triangle shall consist of an equilateral triangle with sides not less than 16 inches long and a red border not less than 2 inches wide, and with its interior part either hollow or of a light colour. The law says the red border shall be illuminated by transparency or fitted with a reflectorised stripe. Further, the advance war triangle shall be such that it can be stood firmly in a vertical position.
The law provides punishment for breach of the regulations. It says a person who contravenes the regulation commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 10 penalty units and not more than 25 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than 30 days or to both.
It is mandatory, therefore, that every owner or driver of vehicle should fit on his vehicle at all times a fire extinguisher, first aid kit and advance warning triangle. These are emergency equipment needed to control fire on the road, injuries or sudden sickness and protection of users of the road from crushes in the event of an unexpected breakdown on the road. It is the responsibility of the Police to check and ensure that vehicle owners have the equipment fitted on their vehicles and to prosecute them if they are found to have defaulted in complying with the requirements of the law.
