1. MAKE ROADS SAFE CONFERENCE,
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
8-10 July 2009
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
IMPLEMENTING A DECADE OF ACTION IN AFRICA: Examples of Road Safety Interventions.
NOBLE JOHN APPIAH
Executive Director
National Road Safety Commission, Ghana

2. Outline of Presentation
The National Road Traffic Crash and Casualty Situation in Ghana
5 – year National Road Safety Strategy
Policies Implemented
Specific Interventions
Road Safety Performance Indicators
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3. Brief Profile of Ghana Population : 24,931,299 (estimate)
Land Area : 238,540 sq. km
Administrative Divisions : 10
Length of Roads in Ghana : 64,323km
Trunk Roads = 20%
Feeder Roads = 65%
Urban Roads = 15%
Road Condition
Roads in Good Condition = 39%
Roads in Fair Condition = 29%
Roads in Poor Condition = 32%
Languages spoken in Ghana : 41
Most Commonly spoken languages in Ghana : 6
English,Twi (Akan), Ga, Fanti, Hausa, Dagbani

4. Road Safety Situation
Over 1,600 people die annually in Ghana through road traffic crashes.
At least 4 persons are reported killed in road traffic accidents daily
42% of the fatalities involved are pedestrians
23% of pedestrian fatalities involved children below age 16
60% of accidents are caused by speeding
Bus occupants account for 25 % of fatalities
18-55 years age group account for 60% of fatalities
70% of fatalities involve males
Vehicle population growing at 10% annually

5. Cost of Road Traffic Crashes in Ghana
Road Traffic Crashes cost the nation 1.6% of GDP
Translates to US$ 165 MILLION (2004)
Source : Estimation of cost of road traffic accidents in Ghana , 2006 (BRRI)

6. National Road Traffic Injury Situation
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has a comprehensive traffic crash statistics data base from 1991 to 2007.
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7. Details of RTC Data RTC classification by: Environment Road User Class
Age group
Sex
Type of Vehicles
Time of Crash
Region
etc
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8. Distribution of Fatalities by
Road User Class (2000 – 2007)
Age (2000 –2007)

9. 4.0 FRAMEWORK FOR ROAD SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN GHANA

10. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAKEHOLDERS
Ministry of Transportation:
Political leadership and broad policy direction
NRSC-National Road Safety Commission:
Provides strategic leadership in strategy, policy , resource mobilization, advocacy and coordination
GAS - Ghana Ambulance Service
Emergency Services
MTTU- Motor Transport & Traffic Unit
Enforcement of traffic regulations
GHA/DUR/DFR- Road Agencies
Road safety Engineering issues
NGOS – Advocacy, training etc
BRRI- Building & Road Research Institute
RTA Data Collection and Analysis
DVLA- Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority
Driver certification and vehicle inspections
MoT

11. NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
4.1 Policy Goal
To provide strategic leadership in road safety management through:
Planning, development and coordination
Advocacy and Resource Mobilization
Research and knowledge transfer
Education, Publicity & Information – to create awareness and improve knowledge and change road user behaviour in road safety.
Engineering – to incorporate road safety in the development and maintenance of road infrastructure
Enforcement – to ensure compliance of Road Traffic Laws and Regulations
Emergency Response Services – to provide post crash care for crash victims
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION

12. Development of 5-year Comprehensive, Consistent, Coherent and Harmonized National Road Safety Strategy & Action Plans
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13. 4.2 NATIONAL STRATEGY (NRSSI & II) AND ACTION PLANS
Targets
Focus Areas
Process
Implementation
Monitoring & Evaluation
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION

14. Strategic Objective
The NRSC provides leadership in the planning, design and implementation of measures that will reduce road traffic crash fatalities on a year-on-year basis with a view to achieving less than 1,000 fatalities and achieve a single fatality rate by the year 2015.

15. NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
FOCUS AREAS FOR NRSS II
NRSS II
Reduction in Pedestrian and Child Fatalities and Injuries
Reduction in Fatalities and Injuries of occupants of Bus / Mini Buses
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION

16. FOCUS ROADS Road Name Aflao – Accra – Cape Coast – Takoradi – Elubo
Accra – Kumasi – Techiman – Kintampo – Tamale – Navrongo
Kumasi – Sunyani
Kumasi – Obuasi
Sunyani – Techiman
Tema – Asikuma
Asikuma - Ho 16 16

17. NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
INTERVENTIONS
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION 17

18. NATIONAL VISION FOR ROAD SAFETY
“Ghana, a country with the safest road transportation System in Africa”
The road to fulfill the vision
Influence
ATTITUDE
BEHAVIOUR
KNOWLEDGE
Education
Information
Research
Training
Enforcement
Engineering
Emergency
To make Ghana’s road transportation system the safest in Africa
Influence the level and severity of
CASUALTY
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION 18

19. Engineering (Physical)
Road Narrowing
Trapezodial Road Hump marked with chequer markings and zebra croassing near Kumasi.

20. Education
Over 200,000 school Children, 8,000 teachers and 12,500 parents trained in safe road use practices
Road Safety Education Programmes organised
for pupils in basic schools, teachers and parents
throughout the country
Walk Safely training programme for young
school children under adult guidance.
The objectives are
To raise awareness on how to observe traffic and act in it as children
To facilitate a dialogue between children and volunteers/adults about pedestrain behaviour

21. EDUCATION, INFORMATION & PUBLICITY
1. Fatigue Campaign
Conducted a study and launched a major campaign against Fatigue in driving
Study revealed that 75% of respondents often felt tired when driving
Respondents drive for long hours (16 hours)
Study revealed that drivers are able to recognize their own symptoms and signals of fatigue, but they do not always take them seriously.

22. Enforcement (Visible presence of the Police)
Enforcement of traffic rules and regulations
Regular interaction with drivers at specific accident prone sections on highways
Check log books at loading points .
BAC test being conducted by a Police Officer

23. Enforcement
Privatisation of Garages to undertake modern vehicle testing practices.
Developed Special Training Course and
Testing procedures for Commercial Vehicle
Drivers
Promotion of Vehicle Safety Standards
PPP involvement in towing of disabled vehicles
Four companies given provisional authorisation by NRSC / MTTU on 4 corridors namely
Accra – Kumasi – Sunyani
Accra - Cape Coast – Takoradi
Accra – Aflao – Ho
Techiman – Bolga - Wa

24. Specific Interventions
Development of a National Road Safety Policy
Institution of Road Traffic Crash Investigations
Enactment of the Road Traffic Act 683 & Regulations
Introduction a National Ambulance Service (NAS)
Introduction Speed Limiters, Tachographs and Speed Cameras
PPP in Vehicle Towing Services
Introduction of a National Drivers’ Academy
Mandatory use of retroflective tapes to improve conspicuity
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25. Specific Interventions
Road Traffic Crash Investigation
Crash investigation conducted by a team made of
NRSC
Police
Psychologist
Transport Engineer
Transport Operator
Enactment of Road Traffic Act 683
Enacted the Act to Consolidate and revise the Road Traffic Ordinance to provide for a more comprehensive regulation of Road Traffic and Road Use, to ensure Road Safety

26. Specific Interventions
Improvement in Vehicle Conspicuity
i) Launch of Retroflective tapes on vehicles above 3.5 Gross Vehicle Weight
Road Safety Policy Guidelines in Fleet Management for Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs)

27. RESEARCH STUDIES CONDUCTED
Study into the conditions of service of commercial
vehicle Drivers and its impact on road safety
The influence of educational background on driver competence
A study into Fatigue in driving
Impact of used tyres on road safety

28. (Source : International Road Federation)

29. THE WAY FORWARD

30. NRSC WEBSITE (www.nrsc.gov.gh)
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION

31. NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
Thank you
for your Attention
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION