Road Accidents: Sustained Public Awareness Campaigns Required

A team from the National Gendarmerie headquarters was on the Yaounde-Bertoua highway on October 1, 2016.

Gendarmes are not taking anything for granted during highway patrols and vehicle checks. A team from the National Gendarmerie headquarters in Yaounde was on the Yaounde-Bertoua highway on October 1, 2016. Led by Captain Nkenglefac Charles Forsah, the team set up a checkpoint in Atok village in the Upper Nyong Division of the East Region, in addition to patrols on motorbikes in the Centre Region. 

Speaking to Cameroon Tribune in Atok, Captain Nkenglefac attributed the recent accident near Dimako in the Upper Nyong in which 12 people died and many others across the country to the slow pace in change of mentality by motorists. He however admitted that some noticeable changes had been observed and wondered what the situation would have been without gendarme presence in the field. “People adapt gradually to change. We hope all road users will soon begin to respect the Highway Code in order to save lives,” Captain Nkenglefac said.

Still at Atok, Shabun Bako, the driver of a Toyota Corolla 92 saloon car with registration number NW 3572 D driving in from Ayos in the Centre Region to Bertoua in the East Region, found himself in trouble. The particulars were discovered not to be those of the Toyota Corolla 92. Shabun admitted the error, saying the papers for the vehicle...