Mohamed Alieu Jalloh said November 14 every year was set aside for the world to remember victims of road accidents around the world. The theme of this year’s ceremony was “Vital Post-Crash Action: Medical Care, Investigation, and Justice”.
He said the day was dedicated to remembering the many millions killed or injured in road crashes, their families and their communities as well as to pay tribute to them.
“The statistics of road crashes are very alarming and I want to make a plea to the public to support government and our partners to drastically reduce incidences of road accident in Sierra Leone”.
Minister of health, Dr Abu Bakarr Fofanah, described road safety as an individual and collective responsibility for all Sierra Leoneans, adding that “the success of road safety campaigns certainly depended on the role played by stakeholders, pedestrians, cyclists, riders and drivers alike”.
“Road fatalities cost the country millions of Leones each year. The accidental demise of professionals, children, and breadwinners of families affect the social and economic cost of the country”, Dr. Fofanah said and urged the ministry and SLRSA to implement the policies on the issuance of driver’s license and revise alcohol limits on drivers.
The commissioner of insurance, Mr A. A. Kanu, stated that United Nations had slated the date not only to remember road traffic accident victims, but also to create awareness around road traffic accidents.
He added that: “15 million people across the world lost their lives through road traffic accidents and significant numbers are also physically and psychologically challenged as a result of road traffic accidents”.
A physically challenged person, Ibrahim Kamara, who lost his feet owing to motorbike accident urged government and appropriate authorities to undertake ample action against reckless drivers and bike riders as they were the ones responsible for the alarming rate of fatal road traffic incidences in the country.
