By D.I. Laary, GNA
Koforidua, Feb. 13, GNA – Ghana recorded 2,949 road deaths in 2025, an 18.2 per cent rise over the 2,494 fatalities in 2024, with speeding and an upsurge in motorcycle crashes driving the increase, data from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has revealed.
The country also registered 14,743 road crashes between January and December 2025, representing a 9.3 per cent jump from the previous year.
The sharper rise in deaths underscores the growing severity of road collisions nationwide.
Speeding remained the dominant contributory factor, accounting for more than 60 per cent of all collisions recorded during the year.
Rising deaths linked to high speeds
NRSA data show that fatalities climbed across several months. In December 2025 alone, deaths increased by 16 per cent compared to the same month in 2024.
The situation was worsened by a surge in motorcycle-related incidents, with 6,548 motorcycles involved in 2,025 crashes, representing a 19.4 per cent increase over 2024.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Enock Jengre, a lawyer and Programmes Officer at the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), said motorcyclists remained the most vulnerable road users. Without the protective frame of a vehicle, he noted, survival chances diminish sharply when speeds exceed safe limits.
In December 2025, 74 per cent of all cycles involved in crashes were two‑wheeled motorbikes — a trend Mr Jengre described as a public health emergency.
He added that the concentration of deaths in the Ashanti, Greater Accra, and Eastern regions highlighted the urgency of safer road designs and stronger regulation.
“We are losing at least eight people every single day,” he said during an advocacy session, warning that road crashes cost the nation 3–5 per cent of GDP annually.
Turning the tide in 2026
Mr Jengre urged government to shift from awareness campaigns to a safe‑system approach that prioritises road redesign, stronger enforcement and measures that protect the human body from high‑impact crashes.
Recommending measures based on 2025 data and global best practice, he called for stricter application of automated speed enforcement technologies, including fixed cameras and the Police “Invisible Eye,” which studies show can reduce fatalities by up to 44 per cent.
He further appealed for investment in self‑explaining roads engineered to physically slow vehicles through speed bumps, medians and roundabouts.
Transport operators, he said, should install speed limiters or intelligent speed adaptation devices to monitor and regulate vehicle speeds.
Mr Jengre encouraged insurers to lower premiums for drivers and companies using speed‑tracking technology or maintaining clean safety records.
He also urged civil society organisations to intensify advocacy, demand accountability from state agencies, and support public education on responsible road use.
He emphasised the value of solutions journalism, encouraging media to highlight structural interventions such as dedicated motorcycle lanes.
Community groups, he said, should push for 30 km/h speed limits around schools and other high‑pedestrian areas.
Mr Jengre stressed that the 2025 statistics should serve as a final warning. Without stronger accountability and enforcement, he said, the pace of Ghana’s economic growth will continue to endanger lives on the road.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah