Road crashes: 1,839 persons killed between January and October

A total of 1,839 persons were killed in road crashes between January and October this year, says the Ghana Police Service.

The deaths were recorded through 11,694 crashes, which got 12,678 persons injured.

“We recognise that these figures, compared to the same period last year 2022, there has reduction in the cases of crashes, injuries, and deaths by seven per cent. There has been a reduction of 3.36 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively in injuries and deaths.”

David Osafo Adonteng, Acting Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), said this during a media briefing in Accra on Tuesday.

The occasion was used to launch the NRSA’s Christmas Campaign under the theme: “Stop Speeding -Stay Alive”.

He said during Christmas last year- December 24- 26, 142 crashes, 215 injuries and 25 deaths were recorded.

Adonteng, said NRSA would from March next year commence registration of transport providers online adding that “if one does not belong to any organisation, he or she would not be able to register.”

He said the Department of Urban Roads was fixing some non-functioning traffic lights and expressed the hope that it would help reduce crashes.

Godfred Abulbire, General Secretary of Ghana Private Road Transport Union, said the Union had engaged a consultant for an electronic device on vehicles to check excessive speeding, among others.

Abulbire called for more education on behavioural change on the part of drivers.

Chief Superintendent of Police Alexander K. Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training, MTTD at the Police headquarters, said the Police had issued human-centred interventions, which were yielding results and leading to the reduction of accidents.

According to him, last year from January to October, death among motor riders recorded stood at 811 but “this year we recorded 751″.

He said the Police had stepped up strategies to address insecure and excess loading, and that cameras had been deployed in vehicles to arrest people on the spot for breaching traffic-related offences.

He said about 2,705 offenders, who were put before the courts were convicted, saying so, far 12 of the offenders were in jail.

According to him, the court also imposed varying fines on the offenders and that the State had accrued GHC1,988,219 cedis.

He said cameras installed at various spots had yielded results in terms of surveillance and follow-ups.

Chief Supt Obeng said the Police were also going to rely on traffic cameras under the Traffic tech- GH, adding: “It is not all the time that you will see police officers around, but we are working.”