LADA Institute a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) as part of the advocacy to address critical issues on child restraint and seat belt usage to ensure safety of children on our roads have held a day round table discussion on child vehicular safety dubbed ” Towards Strengthening Ghana’s Framework For Seat Belts And Child Restraints ”
The program is aimed at reviewing existing laws and regulations bench mark international best practices and seeks to develop actionable solutions to enhance Road Traffic Act, 2004 ( Act683) and to foster strategic collaborations to strengthen the country’s child restraints legislation.
The discussion created a platform for stakeholders to assess current legal framework, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement and designed practical recommendations for legislative reforms to conform with international guidelines.
In an address, the team leader for LADA Institute, Dr. Rowland Atta-Kesson said the discussion ties into a key component of Institute advocacy campaign to support the amendment and strengthening of legislation mandating child restrait and seatbelt in Ghana.
He said the disregard for child safety is openly seen on school days where children leap around unrestrained in back seat, babies and toddlers held by adults without protection and parents driving with children on their laps.
“The country’s laws prohibits children under the age of five from occupying the front passenger seat and pointed out that the rule continues to be flouted”, he said saying a survey conducted by the Institute indicates that 70.6% of respondents are aware of the law as 65% recognises the requirements for approval child restraint systems.
Dr. Roland Kelson said inspite of the awareness creation on the laws, non -compliance still persists and however urged stakeholders to identify the challenges to strengthen child vehicular safety.
Throwing more light on the existing legal framework , he said there are inconsistencies between section 14(I) of
the Road Traffic Act 2004 ( Act 683) and regulations 119 (5) of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 ( LI2180) be amended.
The President of Paediatric Society of Ghana, Dr. Hilda Mantebea Boye said her outfit have embarked on series of road safety campaigns and forms part of the awareness to educate the public on the safety of children from road fatalities.
For his part, the Director in Charge of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at National Road Safety Authority, Martin Owusu Afram Esq. commended LADA Institute for the advocacy saying the programme will help identify gaps in Road Safety legislation to conform with international best practices.
Report by Ben LARYEA
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