Road safety education will fail without enforcement – NRSA boss

Abraham Amaliba, Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) in Ghana, has emphasized that road safety education alone is insufficient without proper enforcement. Speaking on Joy Prime’s Dialogue on Road Safety Crisis, Amaliba highlighted the necessity of a comprehensive approach that includes education, enforcement, road engineering, and emergency response to effectively reduce road crashes and save lives.

He argued that weaknesses in any of these areas could hinder progress, even when public education campaigns are ongoing.

Amaliba explained that effective road safety depends on educating drivers and other road users about safety requirements, enforcing traffic laws to ensure compliance, improving road infrastructure, and providing timely emergency assistance to crash victims. Public education, he noted, would not change driver behavior if motorists believed they could disregard traffic regulations without facing punishment. "There are three Es in road safety: education, enforcement and engineering, then you have emergency," he emphasized.

He noted that the lack of effective enforcement could weaken the impact of road safety education, as some drivers might view safety messages as mere advice rather than mandatory rules. According to Amaliba, while education helps drivers understand road safety requirements, enforcement is crucial to ensure compliance. "If education is ongoing, but there is little enforcement, drivers consider the education as mere advice," he explained.

He added that some motorists might choose to disregard road safety advice if they knew there was little chance of being caught or punished for breaking traffic regulations. "But when there is enforcement, punishment would make them sit upright," he stated.

Amaliba stressed that effective enforcement is a key part of improving discipline on Ghana’s roads, particularly among drivers who continue to ignore traffic rules despite public education campaigns. He pointed out that road engineering, including properly designed and maintained roads, clear markings, visible pedestrian crossings, adequate street lighting, and functioning traffic lights, plays a critical role in the road safety system.

He emphasized that these responsibilities fall on institutions mandated to construct, maintain, and manage road infrastructure.

The NRSA Director-General also raised concerns about the emergency response following road crashes, warning that inadequate assistance could worsen the consequences for victims. He warned against situations where crash victims receive untrained assistance while waiting for professional help, potentially leading to fatal outcomes.

“We don’t want to get to the emergency stage where the ambulance service is not brought in,” he cautioned. He expressed concern about unprofessional handling of accident victims while awaiting ambulance services.

Amaliba pointed out that countries with improved road safety have achieved success by ensuring all components of the system work effectively. He stressed that if he had resources to tackle road crashes, he would prioritize enforcement. He believed that drivers, assuming they have received at least some road safety education, would be more cautious when they know law enforcement officers are present and violations could result in penalties.

"People don’t do what you expect. They do what you expect," he stated, highlighting the importance of predictable consequences in shaping behavior.

He also noted the practice of drivers warning each other about police checkpoints, illustrating how the presence of law enforcement can influence driver behavior. This practice underscores the complex dynamics between driver behavior, law enforcement presence, and road safety outcomes.