From January to June 2024, a total of 6,653 road accidents were reported, involving 11,283 vehicles, including private, commercial, motorbikes, and cycles.
During this period, 1,237 people died, and 7,561 were injured.
Compared to 2023, the number of reported cases, vehicles involved, persons injured, and pedestrian knockdowns in 2024 all decreased.
However, the number of fatalities increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2023.
The Head of Public Relations at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Pearl Adosu, attributed the increase in fatalities to wrongful overtaking and speeding.
“The contributory factor might be as a result of head-on collisions are as a result of wrongful overtaking and over speeding. Research has shown that about 90% of our drivers plying our roads in the country do not adhere to speed limits in the country and when the speed limit is high the severity of the crash is high,” she said.
March 2024 recorded the highest number of crashes with 1,145, while June had the fewest with 1,044. March also had the highest number of deaths, with 240.
From January to June 2024, 1,219 pedestrians were knocked down, a decrease of 1.9% from 2023 when 1,212 pedestrians were knocked down.
Private vehicles constituted the largest proportion of vehicles involved in crashes from January to June 2024, representing 43%, followed by commercial vehicles at 34% and motorcycles at 23%.
“Because the riders were not being properly regulated and there was no training or no proper enforcement, we saw hikes in the crashes and the fatalities rate but when we looked at the trend, we immediately collaborated with Ghana Police Service, and we established a relationship with the motor riders and so they have formed associations. We go to them, we do town hall meetings for them, we call facilitators to come and talk to them, sensitize them, educate them on the impact of their reckless riding and we have seen that it has helped mostly in the urban cities,” Adosu explained.
The Bono Region saw the highest percentage increase in deaths, with a 77.8% rise compared to the same period in 2023. The Oti Region recorded the highest percentage decrease in crashes, with a 50% reduction.
Research indicates that road crashes increase every election year, but NRSA officials said measures have been implemented to curb this trend.
“We have gone into discourse with the various political parties, we have engaged them, we have also been able to review the road safety political code of 2008 and so they are all aware of what they should do during the campaign. We will still go to their various national, regional, constituency and branch offices and sensitise them on the impact of reckless driving or recklessness during the campaign.”