Regular vehicle maintenance is essential to road safety and one of the best ways to prevent road crashes, Mr Francis Johnny Amegayibor, a Former Board Member of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), has said.

He said regular maintenance would prevent intermittent breakdown, malfunction, or system failure of vehicles.

Mr Amegayibor, who is also a former Treasurer of the Ghana Automobile Distribution Association (GADA), was speaking at the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency and the Tema MTTD Road Safety Campaign platform.

The GNA-Tema and MTTD Road Safety Project seek to actively create consistent and systematic weekly awareness advocacy on the need to be cautious on the road as a user.

It also seeks to educate all road users on their respective responsibilities and sensitize drivers, especially on the tenets of road safety regulations, rules, and laws.

He said the prevention of road crashes was a shared responsibility and while you might be on top of your car repairs and maintenance, it was impossible to have control over how other drivers maintain their vehicles or how safely they drive.

He said it was significant for all drivers to ensure that their cars were serviced properly when due and noted that a well-maintained car was crucial to preventing the breakdown of vehicles that could lead to fatal road crashes.

Mr Amegayibor expressed concern about the poor car maintenance culture in the country, saying it was a worrying phenomenon and one of the major causes of several accidents in the country.

 Mr Amegayibor, who is a private businessman dealing in vehicle accessories, said the failure to maintain vehicle tires could cause a serious blowout.

Such a situation, he said, could result in the loss of vehicle control, causing serious car accidents, adding that over-inflated tires, under-inflated tires, and worn-out tires could result in fatalities.

He, therefore, advised drivers to know the Pound Per Square Inch (PSI) – a sticker found inside the driver’s door – and ensure that vulgarizers, whose services they engage, inflate their vehicles with the needed levels of air pressure.

Mr Amegayibor, also a former General Manager, Sales at Silver Star Auto Limited, said overinflated tires put too much pressure on the inside of the tire.

He said underinflated tires, on the other hand, caused too much of the tire to come in contact with the road, increasing friction and risk of wear and tear.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager, said the media was an important partner in the national road safety campaign and a part of the broader effort to increase public awareness of road safety laws.

He said, as part of the campaign, key stakeholders, both individuals and institutions, would have the opportunity to send their road safety messages to their staff, congregants, followers and the public to create the needed awareness.