ASSESSING APPROACHES TO CHANGING ROAD SAFETY BEHAVIOURS OF COMMERCIAL DRIVERS IN HO MUNICIPALITY, GHANA.

ABSTRACT

Ghana has considerable problems with road safety which manifest in the numerous incidences of

road accidents. In the past, road safety management was characterized by dispersed,

uncoordinated, and insufficiently resourced institutional units performing isolated single

functions by individual departments within the Ministry of Roads and Transport. Currently, the

National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Police MTTU and DVLA together with other

stakeholder organizations were mandated to address the incidence of unacceptably high levels of

road traffic crashes in the country by enforcing and regulating road traffic rules and regulations.

Yet, due to the ever-increasing vehicular fleet in the country, the notoriously bad attitude of road

users and the weak enforcement of traffic rules, the absolute number of deaths and injuries still

fluctuate within unacceptable ranges. Additionally, there appeared to be legislative, institutional,

administrative and procedural inadequacies which were also aggravated by problems of

inadequate logistics and funding for road safety activities. The study, therefore sought to assess

the effectiveness of the approaches used to change road safety behaviour among commercial

drivers in Ho Municipality.

In all, a sample of 103 respondents was used for the study. The research used the descriptive

analytic survey design. An interview schedule, focus group discussion, in-depth interview,

observation and document review were the main data gathering instruments used in collecting

data. Face-to-face interviews were conducted on 78 commercial drivers who were simple

randomly sampled. Two focus group discussions were held for 8 commercial drivers and 6

driver union leaders. In-depth interviews were held with one regional head and some frontline

staffs of the police MTTU, DVLA and the NRSC who were purposively sampled. Observation

method was also used together with the in-depth interview to collect data from the DVLA.

Document review was used to collect information on road safety legislation.

The results of the study revealed that the commercial drivers met the stipulated minimum

educational requirement but their educational levels were low. Learning by apprenticeship was

the main mode of training for commercial drivers and some drivers still obtained and renewed

their licenses and road use certificates through agents. The commercial drivers had poor

knowledge on road traffic rules and regulations, but they perceived the police MTTU and the

DVLA to be effective in regulating road traffic rules. The majority of the commercial drivers

have not had any incentive or reward and most of them have not attended any driver education or

training since they started driving.

Ghana has a comprehensive legislation on road safety; the police MTTU enforced road traffic

rules; the DVLA ensured best practices of licensing drivers and vehicles and the NRSC provided

leadership in the development and implementation of measures that will reduce road traffic

accident fatalities. Some challenges faced by commercial drivers included bad nature of the

roads, poor signing and markings and numerous speed humps; and the commercial drivers do not

have professional education and training opportunities.

Legislation on road safety spelt out the condition under which a person would be said to have

committed a road traffic offence. The police MTTU ensured safety on the roads through road

checks to ensure compliance with road safety rules and regulations and the provision of road

safety education. The DVLA regulated drivers and enforced road traffic rules and regulations.

Reinforcement of drivers included incentives and rewards and the NRSC undertook nationwide

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planning, development and implementation of road safety programmes and activities and road

safety education.

Some of the challenges faced by the approaches to change driver behaviour included outdated

road safety regulations; lack of adherence to most of the existing Acts, regulations and by-laws;

and absence of a regulatory authority. The Police MTTU, DVLA and NRSC were challenged by

limited logistics and personnel to carry out effective enforcement, regulation and education on

road safety. There was political interference in the operations of the police MTTU, DVLA and

NRSC in the discharge of their duties.

Based on the findings of the study the following recommendations were made:

- Encouraging cooperation between driving schools and the informal driver training systems in

the training of learner drivers may be beneficial in increasing the quality of instruction and

the breadth and depth of learner driver experience.

- Driver education and training programmes should be included in the Transport Unions’ and

companies’ planning process so that the necessary funding and other resources are made

available to enable drivers to access timely and appropriate training.

- There should be periodic review of Road Traffic Act and regulations since some of the road

traffic laws were based on assumptions about outdated automotive technology and have not

been reviewed as technology improved.

- Driving incentive programmes can be used to motivate commercial drivers to improve their

performance.

- The capacity and resources of the police MTTU, DVLA and NRSC should be improved

sufficiently to ensure effective and efficient enforcement and regulation of road traffic rules.