BY: Hassan Alimamy Kamara
Manager of Research and Development at the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Mr. Ambrose Tucker, has disclosed that within the periods of January to September 2022, a total of nine thousand, six hundred and twenty three (9,623) road crashes have been recorded.
Out of this figure, he said two hundred and twenty five (225) fatalities were recorded, that is those who lost their lives. He added that ninety five (95) of that were male and one hundred and thirty (130) were from the female population.
Mr. Ambrose Tucker made this statement on Thursday 13th October 2022, at the weekly national press briefing of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Youyi Building Freetown.
Going further to explain the causes of the road accidents, he confirmed that overloading of vehicles is among the major causes. Another is the use of alcohol while driving; so, he said the SLRSA and the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL) have reached a partnership to curtail the consumption of alcohol while driving. With this he said the testing of drivers for alcohol intake while driving is eminent and said will be fully operationalized to curtail such happenings of road crashes leading to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.
Making inputs to the issue of the prevalence of road crashes in the country, the Director of Safety and Enforcement at SLRSA, Augustine Kaitongie said as the festive season approaches, planning for such is not new any longer but just a need to make more adjustments; with the Sierra Leone Police and the checking mechanisms, he assured that a lot more will be clamped down. He continued that they do not only enforce laws, but they also educate on the processes of what is going on or about to happen, especially the negatives affecting the free flow of traffic.
He said they are not subvented by the government, thus they are challenged with financial constraints, in executing their work properly. He said also that Sierra Leoneans need to step onboard in helping them doing their job, especially in helping to discourage the operation of illegal garages in the streets affecting the free flow of traffic, which they are currently fighting to eradicate.
