The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has revealed a surge in road accidents and fatalities for 2024.
The provisional annual report, spanning January to October, indicates 2,038 fatalities recorded nationwide. This is against 1,848 in 2023 for the same period, indicating a 10.28% increase in road accident deaths.
For road injuries, 12,921 have been recorded as compared to 12,728 in 2023, with a 1.52% increase.
Generally, vehicles involved in accidents saw a decrease from 19,920 in 2023 to 18,876 in 2024, representing a 5.23% decrease. Pedestrian knockdown, which reached 2,067 in 2023, declined to 1,986, representing a 3.92% decrease.
Although there was a decrease in reported accident cases from 11,721 the previous year to 11,127, which represents a 5.07% decrease, the general impact of the recorded numbers is enormous.
Speaking at a symposium in Kumasi, Ashanti Regional Director for NRSA, Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, outlined human errors, which include speeding, overloading, and faulty tyres, as the major causative factors contributing to the increase in road crashes.
He advised drivers to be extra vigilant for the periods of election and Christmas festivities to reduce road crashes.