Road Accidents: Ghana’s National Road Safety Authority Expresses Optimism on Reduction

The Acting Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Mr David Osafo Adonteng, has expressed optimism about the reduction of road accidents in Ghana. Mr Adonteng stated that road crashes, injuries, and deaths could not be completely eliminated, but the Authority was motivated to sustain and improve on reducing the figures.

The Ghana Police Service’s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) statistics for the first quarter of 2023 indicated a 15.06 percent reduction in road accidents compared to the same period in 2022, with 3,340 cases recorded between January and March 2023.

Mr Adonteng said the Authority was committed to enhancing road safety campaigns, engagements with the media, public, and stakeholders, particularly transport operators. He also stated that the new Legislative instrument passed by Parliament would enable the Authority to ensure compliance with road safety rules and regulations, particularly with regards to standards.

Although the NRSA has the power to enforce road safety rules and regulations, Mr Adonteng clarified that the Authority’s primary objective was to ensure that institutions responded to road safety issues. The Authority has installed trackers and devices that can monitor traffic behaviour, automatically recording speed limits violations.

Mr Jermaine Nkrumah, the Chairman of NRSA, has called for the establishment of Unions or Associations for owners of private cars to aid in reducing road crashes. He noted that accidents caused by commercial vehicles have decreased, while those caused by private cars have increased. Mr Nkrumah also stated that Ghana recorded only 1.4 percent of all accidents on the continent, despite driving a higher proportion of vehicles.

All in all, the NRSA remains committed to reducing road accidents, injuries, and deaths in Ghana. The Authority is implementing practical solutions to road safety management, including addressing streetlights, road signs and markings, and potholes, using the law. The engagement with private car owners and the establishment of Unions or Associations is also seen as critical to achieving the NRSA’s objectives.