Data released by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) reveals that in January 2024, a total of 174 individuals tragically lost their lives.
During the same period, there were 1,142 reported road traffic accidents, involving 1,991 vehicles of various types, and resulting in 1,504 casualties, including 174 fatalities and 1,330 injuries.
Of the reported accidents, 55% (631) were categorised as minor, 33% (375) as serious, and 12% (136) as fatal.
Among the deceased, 9% (16 individuals) were under the age of 18, while the remaining 91% (158 individuals) were adults.
This data highlights a concerning statistic: for every ten adults killed, a child also lost their life, indicating a significantly higher ratio of road traffic fatalities among adults compared to children during this period.
This discrepancy can be attributed, in part, to the increased exposure of adults to traffic incidents compared to children.
According to the data, private vehicles accounted for the largest share of vehicles involved in crashes in January 2024, comprising 45.3% of the total.
This was followed by commercial vehicles at 32.9%, with motorcycles representing the smallest proportion at 21.9%. Interestingly, only commercial vehicles saw an increase in crash involvement from 2023 to 2024, rising by 13.3%.
Comparatively, the involvement of private vehicles and motorcycles in crashes decreased by 7.1% and 1.4%, respectively, in 2024 compared to the previous year.
In terms of cycles, motorbikes were the most frequently involved, making up 74% (324) of all cycle-related crashes in January 2024. Tricycles accounted for 23% (101), while bicycles and handcarts contributed 2% (7) and 1% (3), respectively.
Upon analysing the categories of vehicles involved in crashes, it was found that motorcycles constituted the least among all vehicle types involved.
Notwithstanding, the share of motorbike crashes is alarming, taking into consideration the population of motorbikes in the total vehicle population.
Greater Accra Region contributed the most to crashes and came in third in fatalities (393 crashes and 29 deaths, respectively).
This was followed by the Ashanti Region, with 311 crashes and 39 deaths. (highest fatalities recorded).
Eastern Region came third in the number of crashes with 156 crashes and second in fatalities with 35 deaths.