Reckless driving: Menace on wheels

Reckless driving: Menace on wheels

Today, one of the most glaring forms of indiscipline on our roads is reckless driving. This includes speeding, dangerous overtaking, driving on shoulders of roads, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The combination of these factors creates a lethal environment on the roads. 

The allure of speed, coupled with the absence of stringent enforcement of speed limits, often leads drivers to push their vehicles beyond safe limits. According to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), speeding is responsible for about 60 per cent of road crashes.

Dangerous overtaking, particularly on narrow and poorly maintained roads is prevalent, often resulting in head-on collisions. The stretch of the Accra-Kumasi highway, for instance, has seen numerous fatal crashes due to such reckless behaviour.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is another critical issue. Despite laws prohibiting drunk driving, enforcement remains weak, and many drivers continue to operate vehicles which are functionally impaired.

Drunk driving does not only endanger the lives of the drivers, but also puts passengers, pedestrians, and other road users at risk. Statistics from the NRSA indicated that alcohol was a factor in approximately 20 per cent of road crashes in 2022. This underscores the need for stricter enforcement of existing laws and more robust public education campaigns.

Ghana’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), currently pegged at 0.080 mg/ml, is above the World Health Organisation’s 0.050 mg/ml recommendation. There is therefore the need to review it downward to meet international best practices and standards to save lives and reduce crashes.