Road safety digital app launched

• Over 12,000 accidents have been recorded from January to October

• A road safety app has been launched by major stakeholders to help the situation

A digital app to help curb the growing rate of accidents on Ghana’s roads has been launched. The digital platform called Drifan, will also help sustain and promote transportation on the country’s roads.

The app developed by the Ghana Driver and Road Safety (GDRS) Foundation, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), allows road users to capture live road hazards such as broken-down vehicles left at dangerous spots, major road defects, faulty traffic lights and other major issues on the roads that may contribute to road accidents.

This information can be shared with relevant road safety authorities who can in turn take swift action to bring solutions and help maintain safety on our roads.

According to Graphic.com, the Drifan app will also serve as a platform for educating road users, pedestrians, and drivers on important information that will help them keep safe.

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Charles Alani, whilst expressing worry about the increasing number of accidents – over 12,000 road accidents this year alone, also cited drug abuse, irresponsibility, inadequate knowledge on road safety issues, and poorly maintained vehicles as some of the main causes.

Projects and Partnerships Director of the GDRS Foundation, Freda Frimpong on her part reiterated her organization’s role in maintaining sanity on our roads.

“At the GDRS Foundation, we believe that achieving the urgent target to halve the current number of 1.35m people killed in road traffic crashes annually demands fresh, out-of-the-box thinking and loads of innovation.

“Drifan, the platform we are launching today is our contribution to the innovation needed to reduce road traffic crashes,” she said.