Improving Road Safety Data Management: A Call to Action for Ghanaian Transport Operators

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has emphasized the need for transport operators and managers to cultivate a culture of collecting and analyzing relevant operational data to enhance the quality of their services. The Authority, in a statement signed by its representatives, called for media outreach and road safety education initiatives nationwide to create awareness about the importance of data in managing road safety.

The statement was issued to commemorate the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) day, which is marked on May 8. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) set aside the day to promote road safety by highlighting road safety improvements and challenges within the sub-region. The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Improving Road Safety Data Management: A Call to Action.”

Ghana has been recognized since 1991 as one of the countries in Africa with reliable road traffic crash data. The statement commended the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service and the Building and Road Research Institute as data management partners. However, it highlighted the need to enhance and strengthen data management processes to drive road safety improvements.

For the most part, transport operators and managers have a crucial role to play in promoting road safety in Ghana. They are responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers and pedestrians, and data collection and analysis can help them identify risk factors and develop appropriate strategies to mitigate them. By creating a culture of data-driven decision-making, they can improve their services and make Ghana’s roads safer for everyone.

In a nutshell, improving road safety data management should be a priority for all stakeholders in the transport sector. The NRSA’s call to action is timely and necessary, and we must all work together to promote road safety and reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on our roads. Let us all embrace data-driven decision-making and ensure that Ghana becomes a shining example of road safety management in Africa.