The Director of Education, Research, and Training at the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, has raised concerns about Ghana’s worsening road safety situation, revealing troubling figures just weeks before the Christmas season.
He disclosed that 13,000 road accidents were recorded between January and November this year, describing the trend as both “perplexing” and deeply alarming.
According to him, the crashes involved more than 22,000 vehicles, including private cars, commercial vehicles and motorcycles. He noted that motorcycle incidents continue to dominate the data and are responsible for a large share of the severe injuries and deaths.
Chief Supt. Obeng said that within the same 11-month period, 13,000 people sustained injuries, many of them serious. He explained that the scale and severity of the injuries have placed a heavy burden on families and the country’s healthcare system.
Even more disturbing, he revealed that 2,600 people have lost their lives in road traffic crashes so far this year. Of these deaths, 1,937 were males, and 492 were females, showing a disproportionate impact on men, particularly young adults.
Pedestrians have also been hit hard. Chief Supt. Obeng reported that 550 pedestrians died while walking along the road or attempting to cross it. “Many of these deaths are linked to motorcycle crashes,” he said in an interview on Channel One TV.
He warned that Ghana is entering the festive Yuletide period, traditionally one of the most dangerous times on the road, and said the risks will rise sharply if urgent action is not taken.
“The national road safety problem in Ghana calls for all hands on deck,” he said, stressing that the continuous rise in crashes shows that current safety measures are not enough.