The Influence of Road Infrastructure on Road Traffic Accidents in Ghana. A Case Study of the Ashanti Region of Ghana
Abstract:
Road safety has become a global issue of concern
and concrete effort needs to be adopted at the ground level to abate the thousands
of lives being lost in road traffic accidents around the world. One of the important
and cogent measures for subsidising road crashes fatalities is continuously improving
and maintaining good shapes and conditions of our roads. The design of roads plays
paramount role in terms of road safety.
This study provides strategies and measures
that are concrete to tail off the problem through multifaceted methods which involve
effective road engineering solutions at the design stage.
The purpose of the study was to assess road
infrastructure situation in Ghana and provide effective measures to recede the problem.
The study seeks to measure how roads are maintained
with frequent relaying of road surfaces and markings of road safety signs and also
to assess the condition of pedestrian’s footpaths and pedestrians crossing at intersection
and measure availability of road signs and signals, pavement, and road lanes.
Cross sectional study design was used to collect
data. Ashanti region of Ghana was used as a case study. Open and close ended questions
and also focus group discussions
were used to collect data from the respondents. The study participants were made
up of road users (motor vehicle users and pedestrians), and stakeholders within
road infrastructure management. The study participants were 217. The study found
that, road infrastructure in the region is strongly associated with road traffic
accidents in the region.
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