By Christine Naadu Lartey, GNA
Tema, May 22, GNA — Mr Joshua Kwasi Quist, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has described the sharp increase in pedestrian fatalities across the country as an immediate public safety crisis requiring urgent intervention.
According to Mr Quist, nationwide pedestrian knockdown deaths rose steadily from 590 in 2024 to 704 in 2025, adding that the situation has further deteriorated in 2026, with 666 pedestrian knockdowns and 181 deaths recorded within the first four months of the year alone, out of which the Greater Accra Region accounted for 43 fatalities.
He disclosed this during a joint road inspection tour with the management of the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA).
The inspection, initiated by Mr Ludwig Teye Totimeh, the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), took officials through accident-prone residential zones, including Sakumono, Kotobabi, Baatsonaa, and Global Down, to assess localised safety measures following persistent complaints from residents regarding speeding motorists on inner-community roads.
The delegation included Mr Emmanuel Wordey, the Tema West Municipal Roads Engineer, and Ms Charlotte Esi Dadzie, the NRSA Planning Manager for the Greater Accra Region.
Expressing grave concern over the trend, the Regional Director noted that 85 to 90 per cent of road crashes were linked to human error, which included speeding, wrongful overtaking, and driving under the influence of illicit substances like tramadol and rohypnol.
Mr Quist cautioned drivers on the need to protect themselves and other road users, reminding them that motorists become pedestrians the moment they park their vehicles.
He therefore urged drivers to exercise patience and give way to people crossing the road.
He further commended the TWMA for taking proactive, independent steps to roll out localised engineering interventions ahead of the finalisation of the District Road Safety Committees’ framework, emphasising that physical infrastructure played a crucial role in mitigating behavioural risks on the road.
Mr Ludwig Teye Totimeh, the Tema West Municipal MCE, stated that the alarming statistics required the assembly to review its strategy and implement aggressive traffic-calming measures for the 2025/2026 fiscal years to minimise crashes.
Mr Totimeh noted that the assembly frequently received complaints about overspeeding, adding that the situation sometimes became very critical, resulting in fatal crashes.
He highlighted that the TWMA, guided by technical assessments from Mr Wordey and Ms Dadzie, had commenced the phased installation of speed humps, rumble strips, and zebra crossings across all electoral areas to ensure total municipal safety.
He said before the current interventions, the assembly received weekly reports of accidents on the Kotta stretch of the road, explaining that because it was one of the best roads within the municipality, motorists often sped up as if testing their vehicles, which ultimately caused crashes.
Mr Totimeh appealed to motorists to respect road signs and exercise patience, warning that speeding over newly installed rumble strips defeated public investments.
He also urged drivers to exercise maximum caution in school zones and transport terminals where pedestrian traffic was dense.
Concluding the tour, the MCE called for a bottom-up approach to community development, urging residents to utilise the assembly’s toll-free numbers to report safety hazards directly, emphasising that local development must be a two-way approach where citizens bring their problems closer to the authorities for effective solutions.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Kennneth Odeng Adade