Ing Kobby Amoa-Mensah Discovers Missiles on our Roads

*Ing Kobby Amoa-Mensah Discovers Missiles on our Roads.*

The increasing road fatalities on our roads has left all worried.

The menace of road accidents is indiscriminate when it bare it’s teeth and flexes it’s jaws wide to pounce on victims. It is not surprising that every reader may have seen a road accident in the last week or two, knows someone who has died from a road accident, knows someone who has sustained slight or severe injuries from a road accident etc. What this literally means is that, road accidents are ever close to us and we should never think that it only happens to others.

There are many causes of road accidents which are taking away precious lives, maiming innocent souls and destroying families in diverse ways.

Of the many causes of accidents, one seems to be a relatively new contributor which many seem to have turned a blind eye or it is being unnoticed.

The recent practice of scrap metal collection is surely an environmental ly friendly venture with so many asoociated benefits to society. Through the collection these scrap metals which otherwise would be scattered about had the risk of polluting our lands and also a potential to cause injuries to persons running into them. Surely the green benefits of collecting these metals is very laudable.

There is however a major road safety risk that arises when these tonnes of scrap metal are loaded into trucks to traverse our carriageways to smelter houses.

My research shows that the scrap metals loaded in these trucks are never covered. Critical investigation of the types of metals packed into these trucks show that, there are sharp objects and light opjects which could easily fall/fly off the trucks into the ground. The speeds at which these trucks move means that, these metal piece when they fall off have significant momentum, thus can cause severe injuries or fatalities if they are to strike other road users.

These surely are missiles which when launched would cause havoc. I have seen some of these scrap metal elements loosely hanging on top of trucks and my dear has. Always been that they would fall off the trucks to hit nearby drivers or pedestrians.

In acknowledging this problem, I believe that the Ghana Road Safety Authority should be mandated or find with it’s powered as consistent with the law to ensure that all trucks carrying these scrap metals have permits. The permits will mean that the trucks have been inspected and certified to be safe to carry such potentially dangerous items.

Furthermore, the local authorities should have a mechanism of allowing specific trucks to transport this scrap metal subject to the permits provided per trip.

It is envisaged that these two measuress should be effective in reducing these scrap metals randomly functioning as missiles on our carriageways. Secondly there will be some income generated at the respective local government authorities to aid road safety improvements at the local level.

It is important we dont allow for accidents to happen before we start commenting.

By Ing. KOBBY AMOA-MENSAH