Accra: The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has announced a significant 18.9 percent increase in road crash fatalities in the first five months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. This alarming trend highlights an urgent need for enhanced road safety measures and awareness campaigns.
According to Ghana News Agency, the NRSA's National Road Traffic Crash and Casualty Situation Statistics report recorded 1,267 fatalities from January to May 2025, a rise from 1,066 in the corresponding months last year. The total number of road crash incidents increased by 8.9 percent, with 6,111 cases reported, up from 5,609 in 2024.
The report detailed that these crashes involved 10,378 vehicles, including private, commercial, and motorcycles, leading to 8,278 casualties, comprising 1,267 deaths and 7,011 injuries. The crashes were categorized into minor (2,903 cases or 48%), serious (2,213 or 36%), and fatal (995 or 16%). Fatal crashes are defined as those involving at least one death within 30 days, while serious crashes involve at least 24 hours of hospitalization, and minor crashes result in less than 24 hours of hospitalization or no injury.
Pedestrian knockdowns also saw an increase, rising by 9.9 percent to 1,095 cases in 2025, up from 996 in 2024. A concerning aspect of the report was the age distribution of fatalities: 140 (11%) were children under 18, while 1,127 (89%) were adults, reflecting a 7:1 ratio of adult to child deaths. Male fatalities were disproportionately higher, with 992 (78%) males compared to 275 (22%) females.
Analyzing the types of vehicles involved, private vehicles accounted for 41 percent of crashes, followed by commercial vehicles at 34 percent, and motorcycles at 25 percent. Notably, crash involvement increased for all vehicle types, with motorcycles experiencing the highest surge at 21.1 percent. Within the motorcycle category, two-wheel motorcycles constituted 73 percent of the crashes, tricycles accounted for 24 percent, and bicycles and handcarts made up the remaining 3 percent.
Regionally, Greater Accra recorded the highest number of crashes (1,908), although it ranked third in fatalities (161). The Ashanti Region followed closely with 1,850 crashes but led in deaths (325), while the Eastern Region was third in crashes (842) but second in fatalities (268). The Savannah Region experienced the highest increase (52%) in crash incidents, whereas the Northern Region saw the largest decrease (51.16%). For injuries, the Northeast Region reported the highest rise (277.3%), while the Northern Region recorded the most significant drop (71.3%).
Despite these grim figures, some regions showed improvements. Greater Accra, for instance, witnessed a 9.04 percent reduction in deaths, whereas fatalities in Ashanti increased by 14 percent. The Eastern Region had a higher fatality rate of 28 deaths per 100 crashes, compared to 10 in Greater Accra, indicating a critical need for targeted interventions.
The NRSA emphasized its commitment to intensifying collaborative efforts with stakeholders to reverse this disturbing trend and improve road safety across the nation.
