The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a road safety non-governmental organisation (NGO), has urged drivers to avoid drunk-driving to prevent accidents.

'It is a known fact that most traffic accidents occurs as a result of alcohol intake by most drivers.

"Drunk driving is the act of operating or driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the degree that the mental and motor skills are impaired," it said.

The VALD gave the advice in a statement signed by Mr Labram Musah, the Programmes Director of the NGO, and copied the Ghana News Agency.

The statement said recently the police had reported that about 44 people perished through road accidents after the country's December 7, 2016 election.

It said 169 sustained various degrees of injuries from 100 cases of traffic crashes recorded from December 7 to 11 involving 157 cars, adding that the cause of traffic incidents have sharply increased in the last few months resulting in loss of lives and properties.

The statement said at the just ended International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety Conference in Brazil, a wide range of technological advancements of instruments for curbing and checking drink/drive was introduced to participants whilst most advanced countries were already making use of these gadgets.

'We, as a country, should also make do with these gadgets to enhance safety on our roads by checking out on drink/drive motorists,' it said.

The statement advised drivers to concentrate on the road and other road users at all times and avoid disruption by passengers, adding that; 'it is often drivers' attitude rather than their skills which causes road collisions.'

It called on stakeholders to also lift their voices and campaign to ensure that road traffic incidents in the country are reduced if not curbed, especially during December.

'In every six seconds someone is killed or seriously injured on the world's roads,' the statement said road traffic injuries were the leading cause of death of young people aged between 15 to 29 years.

'For men of working age they inflict a mortality burden equal to HIV/AIDS. More than 90 per cent casualties are in the middle-and low-income countries.

'Building on the United Nation Decade of Action for Road Safety, launched in 2011, the UN has included two road safety targets in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),' the statement said.

Delivering these ambitious objectives would require increased global and national political commitment and an immediate focus on key 'winnable battles' by year 2020.

These include action to improve the safety of road infrastructure, action to improve vehicle safety and action to protect road users.

GNA