The Togolese Consumers Association (ATC) issues a press release regarding the recurrence of road accidents, the content of which is as follows:
ATC PRESS RELEASE
PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY, A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE LIVES
“Today, as the Association Togolaise des Consommateurs (ATC), we wish to highlight the importance of road safety and underline the need for collective action to prevent road accidents and save lives. Road safety is a top priority for everyone – authorities, regulators, businesses, communities and citizens.
The security report for the year 2022 published on February 21, 2023 by the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection is proof of this. 7,507 accidents were recorded, compared to 7,392 in 2021 with 683 dead, compared to 680, and 9,918 injured, compared to 9,376. And these traffic accidents most often affect certain axes or arteries of the country, especially in Greater Lomé which happen to be the more accident-prone.
The main causes of road accidents are often attributable to risky behavior such as excessive speed, drunk driving, mobile phone use while driving, disobeying traffic rules and lack of vigilance. It is therefore imperative that every driver understands the importance of respecting road safety rules and adopting responsible behavior on the road because these road accidents not only cause unbearable human losses, but they also have economic and social repercussions. considerable.
The ATC calls on all citizens to adopt responsible behaviors, to prevent accidents, such as respecting speed limits, not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, using safety equipment such as seat belts safety gear and helmets, and stay focused on the road.
It urges the Government and regulatory bodies to put in place effective policies and regulations to promote road safety through awareness campaigns, mandatory training for drivers, improvement of road infrastructure, strict enforcement of driving laws and disincentives for dangerous behavior.
In this vein, the Togolese Consumers Association (ATC), recommends to the Government a number of actions to prevent and reduce cases of traffic accidents. These include, among other things:
Entrust the management of traffic lights that are often non-functional or broken down to the Autonomous District of Greater Lomé (DAGL) or directly to a company/enterprise that will continuously ensure the repair and operation of said lights;
Develop the road by installing speed bumps at traffic lights in order to reduce the speed of road users who especially tend to increase speed at the sight of the orange light;
Build a Californian wall on the Agoe-Kégué highway, in order to avoid diversions or inappropriate crossings by certain users and to limit damage in the event of accidents;
Provide a traffic monitoring mechanism through the installation of traffic cameras and their control post. This mechanism will in fact make it possible to identify leaks in traffic (speeding, non-compliance with signs, etc.) and to apply penalties to users in violation.
Finally, ATC believes that road safety is a shared responsibility that requires the commitment and cooperation of all actors in society. By working together, we can create safer roads and prevent unnecessary tragedies. Investing in road safety today is investing in a safer future for all.
“The ATC, for the quality of life”