DVLA deploys technology to fight carnage on roads

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has stepped up efforts to reduce carnage on the roads with the introduction of five gadgets to check road worthiness of vehicles and authenticity of their documents.
The gadgets including handheld tablet computers, tyre tread depth gauges, digital tape measures, tint meters, and handheld brake testers will aid compliance and enforcement officials of the DVLA to thoroughly check vehicles on the road.
The move apart from targeting the reduction of road accidents also seeks to strengthen the mandate of DVLA in promoting good driving standards in the country and ensuring the use of road worthy vehicles on the roads and other public places.
Mr Richard Kwasi Eyiah, Head of Compliance and Enforcement Unit of the DVLA demonstrated the functions of the various gadgets to the media in Kumasi ahead of an exercise to check vehicles in some parts of the Metropolis.
He said the handheld tablet was meant to verify genuineness of drivers’ license, road worthy certificates, and registration numbers of vehicles on the spot to enable DVLA officials to take action against unauthorised drivers and car owners.
The tyre tread depth gauge, he said, was used to check worn out tyres of vehicles as well as tyre pressure, to ensure the safety of passengers and pedestrians on our roads.
The digital tape measure also checks the distance between seats, width, length and height of vehicles to ensure they conform to stipulated standards of the DVLA.
Mr Eyiah explained that private cars were not supposed to tint the front windows and the windscreen but only the rear door window which should be transparent with 70 per cent transmission, adding that anything below was an offence.
The tint meter is, therefore, meant to check drivers who flout the required standard.
The brake tester, according to him, checks the braking efficiency of both the service and hand brakes of vehicles as well as the brake imbalance and stopping distance.
He said the introduction of the gadgets would equip the compliance and enforcement officers to be able to perform efficiently on the roads to reduce road accidents.
He urged the media to complement efforts of the DVLA towards road safety by educating the public, especially motorists on the new equipment and how they could help fight carnage on the roads.
Mr. Amos Abakah, the Ashanti Regional Manager of DVLA reiterated the need for the media to disseminate the message for vehicle owners to prioritise the maintenance of their vehicle and adhere to statutory regulations on vehicles.
He said it was important to apply technology to inject efficiency in the work of the DVLA to improve driver and vehicle license administration in the country.