Ghana is faced with several challenges ranging from economic, social, security, health, environmental to development. Though all these are interrelated, national efforts to address them seems ad hoc, uncoordinated and ineffective.
This article attempts to map this battle space; it sets out to draw attention to road accidents and how it poses serious threat to public safety. Also, the article proposes some recommendations that can be adopted by the national road safety authority, ministries of roads, transport and other relevant institutions to address the menace.
In the first half of 2025, road crashes have seen a rise in the number of accidents, deaths, fatalities and injuries. According to the National Roads Safety Authority (NRSA), at the end of June 2025, Ghana recorded a total of 7,289 road crashes.
Out of these, a total 1,504 fatalities and 8,300 injuries were recorded involving 12,354 vehicles representing a staggering 21.6% increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2024.
This means, on average, about 40 road crashes are recorded, 8 fatalities and 46 injuries occur daily. Comparing these statistics to 2024, where fatalities recorded was 1,237, with 6,653 crashes and 7,560 injuries recorded with 11,283 vehicles involved.
The above revelations pose serious threats to public safety and human security where people have the right to live in safe environment and have safer means of transportation.
The statistics underscore the critical need for intensified road safety measures in order to protect road users. It is important to note that, road safety is viewed by the United Nations as a critical global public health and development priority which is integrated into the Development Goals, specifically SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities.
In view of this, the UN has proclaimed a Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) with a target of reducing road fatalities and injuries by about 50%.
Specifically, the SDG on road safety is directly linked to SDG 3.6 where it is aimed to halve global deaths and injuries by 2020 and SDG 11.2 to provide safe transport systems for all by 2030.
Ghana’s problem is as a result of several factors including: poor road networks, lack of enforcement, monitoring and evaluation, poor states of vehicles on the roads, lack of capacity building for road users.
The combine effects of these factors has led to the increase in road crashes and there is the need for a concerted effort to solve the problem.
In Ghana, the road safety framework involves key institutions such the National Road Safety Authority, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, and the Ministries responsible for roads, and transport.
The legislation supporting these institutions are the Road Traffic Act and the 2004 Road Traffick Act (Act 683). These focuses on muti-sectoral coordination, education, infrastructure development, data management and research to reduce fatalities and injuries.
Unfortunately, these strategies has proven to be ineffective due to several factors including bureaucracies, political interference, lack of funding, etc.
To address the menace, the strategic pillars and initiatives of road safety in Ghana should be fully implemented and action taken. These include: implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy – this framework guides the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of road safety programmes that will achieve specific targets; multi-sectoral partnership – which encourages collaboration between government ministries, departments and agencies as well as stakeholders in order to create a holistic road safety programme; road safety education and publicity – aimed at conducting a nationwide education campaigns and publicity aimed at promoting best practices among road users; infrastructure improvement – this is a major concern where major roads in Ghana needs considerable face lift to make them safer for use.
Also improving the licensing regime to ensure vehicles on the roads are worthy to prevent injuries and falities; post-crash response – emergency responses to road crash is crucial if fatalities can be reduced.
There is thus the need to enhance the capacity of the healthcare system that will treat victims of road accident; and data management and research – the state must develop and maintain a comprehensive road traffic crash database, and undertake continuous research that will inform road safety interventions.
Public safety on the roads must be a major policy initiative by government to ensure lives are protected.
Article written by Nana Yaw Fianko, a fellow at the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy.
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