ROAD SAFETY AGENTS CHECK ABUSE OF FOG LIGHTS (PAGE 29)

THE inappropriate use of fog and other auxiliary lights by vehicles in the Tamale metropolis have attracted the attention of road safety agencies in the metropolis, who have as a result mounted a joint exercise to educate motorists on the use of such special features.
The National Road Safety Commission in collaboration with the Vehicle Licensing Authority and the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit of the Ghana Police Service jointly undertook the exercise.
According to the Northern Regional Road Safety Co-ordinator, Mr Sumani Mbo, apart from the fact that the use of such auxiliary lights contravened road safety regulations, most accidents which occurred at most parts of the region could be attributed to the wrong use of those systems.
The special exercise formed part of a series of programmes lined up to educate motorists in the area to get rid of those systems mounted on the vehicles.
In all, the road safety agents removed the illegal lights from 22 vehicles which were carrying them. The vehicles included buses, cargo trucks and fuel tankers.
‘‘Some careless drivers are in the habit of using the fog lights to blind oncoming vehicles, resulting in accidents; this negative attitude must be stopped and the surest way to do this is to get all illegally installed fog and auxiliary lights removed,’’ Mr Mbo intimated.
Statistics from the MTTU in Tamale indicate that there has been an increase in the number of fatal accidents in the metropolis. Fatalities rose from 25 deaths between the periods of January and April last year to 33 within the same period under review, this year alone.
Prior to the exercise members of the NRSC had presented copies of the road safety code of conduct for political campaigns to the Vice-Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, Mr John Dramani Mahama, in Tamale when he recently embarked on a campaign tour of the region.
The document, which was prepared by the commission, spells out guidelines on how to conduct political activities safely devoid of accidents during the run-up to this year’s general elections.
This was against the backdrop of a recent accident that claimed the life of a 19-year-old girl, with several others sustaining various degrees of injuries in an accident involving supporters of the NDC, who were on their way to welcome Mr Mahama to Tamale.
Mr Mbo said ‘‘election years are usually periods when accident figures go up and this is because of the irresponsible way party supporters use the roads during such periods.’’
He, therefore, entreated the leadership of all parties to ensure that they adhered to road safety regulations during the conduct of their respective campaigns.
Mr Mahama expressed his appreciation to the members of the commission, and promised to convey the message to the followers of the party.