-As Road Safety Quizzing and Debate ends
By George Y. Sharpe,gy.sharpe@yahoo.com
As part its efforts to reduce road accident deaths in Liberia, the traffic division of the Liberia National Police this week concluded a road safety quizzing and debate competition.
The competition was held among residents of central Monrovia in the town hall of the Bassa Community in central Monrovia.
From January to July this year, there have been 119 road accidents, with 64% of these accidents occurred as a result of reckless driving, according to the LNP.
The quizzing and debate are part of a two-week road safety awareness campaign embarked upon by the LNP.
The end of the quizzing and debate competition is the conclusion of phase one of the rigorous awareness exercise, stage by the Liberia National Police, Alphonso Binda, Chief of Traffic, LNP says.
Supported by the German Cooperation (GIZ), the activities include road safety quizzing, debates and football games among residents of central Monrovia.
Participating communities include Perry Street, Buzzy Quarter, Camp Johnson Road, Soniwein, Bassa Community and Jallah.
The quizzing competition was won by the Bassa Community (the host) and the debate was won Jallah Town.
The quizzes and the subject of debate dwelled on road safety and they were drawn by the LNP with advice from the GIZ.
Mr. Binda said the aim of the exercise is to ensure that the message of road safety reaches the grassroots level.
“Road safety is new topic in Liberia, how we use our roads have caused us the lives of some of our citizens in time past. This new phenomenon has to be introduced to everyone for our own safety.” Mr. Binda told a huge gathering of citizens, most of whom are pedestrians that converged under a ‘Palava hut’ to witness the event.
It was more of an open-air extravaganza, attendants were given door and bumper stickers containing road safety tips, and children were issued copy books having several pictures on the back to teach them road safety.
Some of the quizzing questions sought to know when, where and how drivers should stop and at speed vehicles should ply the streets within the city limits.
The subject of the debate was how effective is the police in enforcing traffic regulation to ensure road safety.
Launching the competition on Friday, LNP commissioner for administration, Ambrose Nebo said this awareness seeks to reduce the number of road accidents.
GIZ’s Advisor for capacity development in the transport sector in Liberia, Yana Tumakova urged community dwellers to internalize the awareness messages.
Miss Tumakova says road safety should not be the sole responsibility of the LNP, commuters and drivers must play their roles – follow the rules of the road.
“Always wear seat belt when you’re traveling on a car, this is safe for you. And motorcyclists must use helmet at all times, not carrying more than one passenger,” Ms. Tumakova advised.
She said the more the public is educated on road safety, public safety is enhanced.
The awareness is an offshoot of LNP 12 year’s accident statistics – released in before July 2018 – which states that on the average, one person died a day, six get injured daily and about hundred accident cases were reported daily nationwide, the period before July 2018.
This statistics rendered Liberia’s road dreadful at the time.
Since the 21st of July the awareness have been taking place under separate themes such as “Safe Road, Safe Liberia and “Be Accident Free”.
The GIZ has also been supporting the Liberian government in the areas of road and bridge maintenance. Reporter George Sharpe is President, Mass Communication Students Association, University of Liberia gy.sharpe@yahoo.com 0886580377/0776580377