In the first quarter of this year, road accidents claimed the lives of at least 609 people across the nation, marking a rise from the 553 fatalities recorded during the same period last year.
Additionally, 3,823 individuals sustained various injuries, compared to 3,747 reported last year. The total number of accidents rose to 3,405 this year, slightly up from 3,367 in the corresponding period last year.
The Head of Public Relations at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Mrs. Pearl Adusu Sateckla, shared these figures with the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
She emphasized that the recorded accidents represented a 1.13% increase.
Among the accidents were 573 pedestrian knock-downs, involving 1,978 commercial vehicles and 2,520 private vehicles. The primary causes were identified as speeding and driver fatigue.
Mrs. Sateckla highlighted ongoing efforts by the NRSA, in collaboration with the police and Bloomberg Philanthropic Initiative for Global Road, to intensify awareness campaigns targeting drivers and road users.
Several drivers were apprehended for traffic violations such as speeding and driving under the influence, and subsequently handed over to the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, where fines were imposed.
She urged drivers to strictly adhere to road safety regulations to curb accidents, fatalities, and property damage, stressing that road safety is a shared responsibility.
Mrs. Sateckla reassured the public of the NRSA’s commitment to collaborating with the media, Ghana Police Service, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, and stakeholders to enhance public awareness on road safety.
She underscored the adverse socio-economic impacts of road accidents and called on all citizens to support the road safety campaign, emphasizing the preventable nature of most accidents and the necessity for collective action to address the issue.
“Most of the road accidents were avoidable. We must all come on board and address the menace, as road safety is a shared responsibility,” Mrs Sateckla appealed.