Accra, March 24, GNA — Provisional road crash statistics gathered by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service for January and February 2023, indicate reductions in road crash related incidents.
According to the statistics, January and February 2023 recorded 2,222 crashes, 2,452 injuries and 321 deaths representing 15.35 per cent, 8.27 per cent and 31.56 per cent reductions respectively, compared to the same period last year.
A statement issued by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) said it was encouraged by the continuous reductions in Road Traffic Crashes, Injuries and Deaths (CIDs) from the year 2022 through to this year 2023.
It said provisional statistics available at the Authority, indicated that the CIDs saw consistent month- by-month reductions in 2022 ending the year with 14,960 crashes, 15,690 injuries and 2,373 deaths representing 7.55 per cent, 1.54 per cent and 20.1 per cent reductions, respectively, compared to the year 2021.
The statement said the statistics also showed similar reductions in the number of pedestrians knocked down on the road by 23.78 per cent, as well as the total number of vehicles involved in road crashes by 12.63 per cent.
It said the NRSA was particularly enthused with the recorded reductions in number of commercial vehicles, private vehicles and motorcycles involved in crashes, in the two months under review, by 23.17 per cent, 10.74 per cent and 15.85 per cent, respectively.
The statement attributed the achievements to consistent engagement of the public and road users through the media under NRSA’s flagship “Stay Alive” Road Safety Campaign.
It said the campaign was systematically and progressively influencing behavioural/attitudinal change among road-users and driving advocacy to admonish greater responsibility and compliance in terms of road safety interventions among stakeholders, especially the strong collaboration with the Ghana Police in education and enforcement.
The statement commended all road safety stakeholders across the country particularly the media for their various contributions, adding that leadership and staff of the Authority were highly encouraged by the reductions in all the key indicators.
It assured the nation that all was not lost and through the same spirit of shared and collective responsibility, they would continue to work together, so that Ghana could achieve the 50 per cent reduction targets for CIDs under the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The statement said the recent crash at Babatokuma on the Techiman – Kintampo highway in March this year, which claimed 23 lives and injured many others, was a wake-up call that there was still some more work to be done.
It said as the nation geared up for the Easter festivities in the next two weeks, the Authority in collaboration with the MTTD and all road safety stakeholders, including commercial road transport operators, were putting in place measures to deeply engage road-users through the media and ensure compliance with road traffic laws and regulations.
The statement said all road-users, drivers in particular, were expected to demonstrate high level of responsibility to drive with posted speed limits, avoid driving tired, avoid wrongful overtaking and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol to prevent road crashes before, during and beyond this year’s Easter festivity.
“For any further information and enquiries, call 0244040615/0248041040 or send information of any road safety related problem to the short code 194 (all networks) for immediate redress.”
GNA