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The latest findings from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) shed light on the grim toll of road accidents in January 2024. According to the NRSA’s data, a total of 174 individuals tragically lost their lives in road accidents during this period.
The report further reveals that there were 1,142 reported road traffic accidents in January 2024, involving 1,991 vehicles of various types. These accidents resulted in 1,504 casualties, including the aforementioned 174 fatalities and 1,330 injuries.
The data categorizes the accidents into three groups: minor, serious, and fatal. Among these, 55% (631) were classified as minor, 33% (375) as serious, and 12% (136) as fatal.
Of particular concern is the fact that among the deceased, 9% (16 individuals) were under the age of 18, while the remaining 91% (158 individuals) were adults. This highlights a troubling 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.
The report suggests that this imbalance can be attributed, at least in part, to the increased exposure of adults to traffic incidents compared to children.
Further analysis of the data reveals that private vehicles accounted for the largest share of vehicles involved in crashes in January 2024, comprising 45.3% of the total. Commercial vehicles followed closely behind at 32.9%, while motorcycles represented the smallest proportion at 21.9%. Notably, only commercial vehicles saw an increase in crash involvement from 2023 to 2024, rising by 13.3%. In contrast, the involvement of private vehicles and motorcycles decreased by 7.1% and 1.4%, respectively.
Motorcycles were found to be the most frequently involved in cycle-related crashes, making up 74% (324) of all cycle-related incidents in January 2024. Tricycles accounted for 23% (101), while bicycles and handcarts contributed 2% (7) and 1% (3), respectively.
Despite motorcycles constituting the least among all vehicle types involved in crashes, the high share of motorbike crashes is alarming, considering their prevalence in the total vehicle population.
Regionally, the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest number of crashes, with 393 incidents, and came in third in fatalities, with 29 deaths. The Ashanti Region reported the highest number of fatalities, with 39 deaths out of 311 crashes. The Eastern Region ranked third in the number of crashes, with 156 incidents, and second in fatalities, with 35 deaths.
Overall, the NRSA’s report underscores the urgent need for measures to enhance road safety and reduce the alarming number of fatalities and accidents on Ghana’s roads.
