The lives of the pupils at the Rev. Thomas Clegg Methodist Schools and the Kaneshie Cluster of Schools on the Nii Asere Ayitey Road in Accra will no longer be in danger.
This is because a 30km/h speed limit and school zone signs have been mounted on roads near the schools.
This is to prevent the many knock-downs that occur on the stretch.
The installation was done by a road safety advocate, AMEND Ghana.
AMEND Ghana has over the years been advocating for installation and enforcement of 30km/h speed limit around schools.
Their aim is to reduce drastically Road traffic injury that has caused the death of children over five years.
One major cause of crashes leading to such injuries and death is speeding.
There is a 90% chance of pedestrian survival in the event of a collision involving a vehicle travelling at 30km/h, however, the chance of pedestrian survival decreases exponentially at speeds higher than 30km/h.
For instance, at a vehicular speed of 40km/h, there is a 70% chance of pedestrian survival (30% chance of death) while at 50 km/h, the chance of survival reduces to only 15% (85% chance of death).
The Ghana Road Traffic Regulations (L.I. 2180) states that ‘Except otherwise indicated by the Road Authority, a person driving a motor vehicle shall not exceed a maximum permissible speed limit of thirty kilometres per hour on a road within a school…’
The installation of 30km/h speed limit signs will, therefore, serve as a reminder to drivers to slow down as they approach school zones.
Since 2016, AMEND has been working to reduce vehicle speeds and provide safe pedestrian infrastructure footpaths, zebra crossings, speed humps, road signs, and more around high-risk primary schools in Accra.
AMEND has also conducted road safety education in primary and junior high schools throughout the Greater Accra Region.
To date, AMEND has worked in over 30 schools in Accra with its road safety programme, with the support of the Puma Energy Foundation and the FIA Foundation, AMEND is now also working to advocate for the enforcement of 30 km/h speed limits around schools throughout Ghana.
This work is part of an Africa-wide programme that is being carried out in nine countries: Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia.
About AMEND
AMEND develops, implements and evaluates evidence-based programs to reduce the incidence of road traffic injury in Africa.
AMEND runs road safety programs and partner with governments, companies, development agencies, and others on projects that target specific aspects of road traffic injury.
AMEND’s vision is a future in which vulnerable road users in Africa are as safe as road users anywhere in the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that “the interventions promoted by Amend are perfectly in line” with those being promoted by the WHO.
AMEND is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, the coordinating body for road safety issues across the United Nations system.