Transport consultant Cecil Garbrah has reiterated the need for commercial drivers to get tested by the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
His comments come as some commercial drivers explained why they do not take their vehicles for the compulsory roadworthy test that the DVLA offers to ensure safety on the roads.
He explained that it is important for all road users to just abide by the Road Traffic Regulations which requires every vehicle to go for testing.
Commercial vehicles are to go for testing every six months while private vehicles are supposed to go once a year.
“All the vehicles need to be safe because just imagine you have a ball joint issue where your tyre is not aligned properly and your tyres get off. Definitely that tyre when it removes is going to hit somebody who is walking elsewhere,” he told Daniel Dadzie on the Super Morning Show, Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the new year, over 100 people have either been killed or suffered various degrees of injuries nationwide through road accidents.
Joy News in a bid to curb the accidents has started the #ArriveAlive campaign to sensitise the public on road safety measures.
Contributing to the discussion on how to prevent road accidents, Mr Garbrah advised drivers especially commercial drivers to be careful about the tyres under their cars.
He said commercial vehicle [drivers] who do not take time to know the duration of their tyres and changing it on time are likely to kill a lot of passengers when there’s a tyre burst.
The transport consultant explained that the tread depth limit of a tyre determines how strong the grip of the tyre is on the ground surface.
“If a car doesn’t handle or grip the road as well as usual in wet weather or it takes longer to stop when you apply the brakes, by law the tyres should be checked and changed.
“Tyres do expire, every tyre that you see has a period of six years that you must use the tyre for, tread limits must be 1.6mm,” he elaborated.
The former Chief Executive of the DVLA suggested that the reason why commercial drivers do not obey the law to test their vehicles for roadworthiness is due to enforcement issues.
“It’s an enforcement issue. So now that we have a national road safety authority going to look over DVLA and its activities including enforcement - I believe every commercial vehicle, should be tested at the testing companies we have at Weija and Dome and so on.
By law DVLA is not allowed to give certificates until vehicles have been approved and have been tested by the companies so that for safety reasons, road crashes will be reduced,” he said.
He also lamented that the police do not have the essential inspection kits to check for fake roadworthy certificates which are not issued by DVLA.
“There are a lot of fake stickers in the system and it also goes down to the issue of if the police have got the right test kit to determine the certificate,” he said.
Latest Stories
-
Alan Kyerematen is the situational leader Ghana needs at this critical time – Boniface Siddique
7 mins -
Speaker to address media on recent developments in Parliament, other issues on Wednesday
7 mins -
#Eleection2024: It’s a collective responsibility to maintain peace – Asogli Queen
12 mins -
Bawku conflict claims 61-year-old man, raising death toll to 22
17 mins -
Ghana’s education system stifles critical thinking, innovation – Sam Jonah
22 mins -
“Pay us our royalties” – Celestine Donkor’s manager to Boomplay
29 mins -
Ghana’s overlooked cocoa farmers: The key to a fair and sustainable cocoa industry
53 mins -
Napo urges Seikwa to reject NDC, accuses Asiedu Nketiah of rejecting his hometown
57 mins -
MTN Foundation empowers Volta Region entrepreneurs to drive Ghana’s economic transformation
60 mins -
Sam Jonah criticises reliance on past questions, calls for education reform
1 hour -
Abronye lauds Napo’s impact in Bono Region
1 hour -
Election 2024: Confusion rocks GFP as 2 factions send contradictory letters to EC
2 hours -
NDC Chairman asks NPP supporters to vote out governing party to allow internal restructuring
2 hours -
More youth to enjoy digital skills training – Dr Bawumia
2 hours -
Sam Jonah calls for military-based National Service in Ghana
2 hours