The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has revealed that at least 609 lives were lost through road crashes between January and March 2024, representing a 1.13 percent increase within the same period in 2023.
In the first quarter of 2023, 553 lives were lost to road crashes.
Mrs. Pearl Adusu Sateckla, the Head of Public Relations of the NRSA, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghanaian Times.
She noted that 3,823 others suffered various injuries, compared to 3,747 last year, within the same period. Also, 3,405 accidents were recorded from January to March 2024, compared with the 3,367 cases recorded within the last year of 2023.
Sateckla further underscored that these crashes, including 573 pedestrian knock-downs, comprise 1,978 commercial and 2,520 private vehicles, attributing them to overspeeding and fatigued driving.
According to Mrs. Sateckla, the NRSA, as part of efforts to mitigate the rising number of road crashes, indicated that the Authority has partnered with the Ghana Police Service and the Bloomberg Philanthropic Initiative for Global Road to intensify the sensitisation of drivers and road users.
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“Most of the road accidents were avoidable. We must all come on board and address the menace, as road safety is a shared responsibility,” she noted.
Furthermore, she revealed that some drivers were apprehended for various road traffic offences, including speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. The suspects, according to her, were handed over to the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, and fines were imposed on them.
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She therefore called on drivers to obey road safety regulations to prevent crashes that can lead to deaths and the loss of property.
In order to educate the public about road safety, Mrs. Sateckla gave assurances on behalf of the NRSA determination partner, which includes the media, the Ghana Police Service, the Driver Vehicle and Licencing Authority, and stakeholders.
She noted that traffic accidents had an impact on the country’s socioeconomic progress and urged road users to support the road safety initiative.