Wrongly mounted billboards causes road accident

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA – Mr David Osafo Adonteng, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) on Friday identified billboards mounted at wrong locations as causes of some major road accidents in the country.He said billboard mounted should not distract a driver or impede the view of pedestrian as well as block directorial signs, traffic signals and other traffic control devices or to obscure information about road alignment.“But unfortunately some of the billboards across the country are mounted without due regard to the law,” Mr Adonteng made this known at a stakeholders meeting organised by NRSC to outline Ghana’s specification for outdoor signs and advertisement in relation to road safety in Accra.The stakeholders included the Ghana Highway Authority, Ghana Advertisers Association, Department of Urban Roads, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Safety Ghana, Road Safety Advocates and the Ghana Standard Authority.Mr Adonteng said billboards must be designed to ensure that roadside advertising does not create a road safety hazard or confuse drivers in any road environment, or compromise bicycle and pedestrian safety.He said billboard must not be in a position that has the potential to give incorrect information on road alignment.He said NRSC would in June this year prosecute anybody who would break the law on billboard mounting, adding that, “any billboard which does not meet the standard of the law would be dismantled and the offender prosecuted”.He called for removal of all wrongly mounted billboards to avert accidents.He said the NRSC objectives were to promote best safety practices for all categories of road users including pedestrians so as to reduce accidents on roads in the country.The stakeholders assured NRSC of their full support and promised to make sure safety is improved in the country.GNA Read Full Story