According to data released by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), during the first eight months of this year, there were at least 1,614 fatalities and 9,947 injuries reported in 8,653 traffic collisions nationally.
In comparison, during the same period last year, there were 1,442 fatalities and 10,417 injuries reported in 9,327 crashes.
The number of registered incidents indicated a 7.23% drop in traffic accidents and an 11.93% increase in fatalities.
14,654 cars were involved in the collisions, including 6,194 private, 5,028 commercial, and 3,431 motorcycles.
The head of Public Relations of the NRSA, Mrs Pearl Adusu Sateckla, stated this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra, noting that the deaths comprises 79 per cent male and 21 per cent female.
Overspeeding, being wrongful overtaken, and fatigued driving were the main reasons for the collisions, she said.
According to Mrs. Sateckla, the Greater Accra Region saw a notable 18.5% decrease in mortality from 2023.
However, she said that the Ashanti Region had an increase in deaths of 156, accounting for 61.4% of the total during the same period last year.
While Greater Accra saw a more than twofold (200%) increase in crashes over the previous eight months, Mrs. Sateckla pointed out that the Eastern Region recorded more crash deaths than Greater Accra.
According to the PRO, there were more crashes in the Greater Accra area because of traffic and pedestrian congestion.
In order to guarantee that lives and property were spared, Mrs. Sateckla emphasized the necessity for the media to step up its advocacy on road safety in the nation.
She also urged increased cooperation between the NRSA and stakeholders in order to lessen the danger posed by traffic accidents in the nation, stressing that everyone must prioritize road safety in order to protect lives and property.
In the meantime, political parties have been asked to follow traffic safety laws in order to preserve lives and property before, during, and after this year’s elections by Mr. David Osafo Adonteng, Director-General of the NRSA.
He encouraged the political parties to follow the political code of ethics on the road safety standards while speaking at a capacity development workshop for journalists on covering road safety in Accra.
It was organised by NRSA in partnership with CUTS International, a think-tank on road safety, to appraise participants on current ethical practices in road safety journalism, to help support road safety measures to influence public policy during the elections period.
Mr. Adonteng pointed out that some political parties’ disdain for safety precautions caused an increase in traffic accidents during the nation’s election season.
Source: newsthemegh.com