142% rise in road traffic offences in 2021

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) in 2021 arrested a total of 6,877 motorists for various offences in the course of the year.

The figure increased by 142% from 2,831 in 2020 to 6,877 last year.

Other offences – 3, 843 (196% rise)

Other offences top the list rising from 1,296 in 2020 to 3, 843, representing an increase of 196%.

Driving without licence -1,299 (110% increase)

Driving without licence also recorded 110% increase to 1,299 in 2021 from the 616 recorded in 2020.

Expired documents – 768 (95% increase)

Motorists using expired documents jumped by 95% from 394 in 2020 to 768 in 2021.Worn-out tyres – 219 (40%)

Drivers arrested for worn-out tyres also increased from 134 in 2020 to 219 in 2021, representing 40% rise.

Not wearing helmet – 203 (76.5%)

Two hundred and three drivers were arrested for not wearing helmet in 2021, an increase of 76.5% over the 115 for 2020.

Drunk driving -153 (115.5%)

In respect of drunk driving, it increased from 71 in 2020 to 153 in 2021, representing 115.5%.

Not wearing seatbelt/child restraint -169 (231%)

A total of 169 drivers were arrested for not wearing seatbelt/child restraint, an increase of 231% over the 51 recorded in 2020.

Overloading -118 (9.3%)

Drivers arrested for overloading also increased to 118 in 2021 from 108 in 2020, representing 9.3%.

Over speeding -105 (128.3%)

Over speeding jumped by 128.3%, rising to 105 last year from 46 in 2020.

The offences, which ranged from over speeding to drunk driving, culminated in some 5,690 cases ending up in court, with the courts convicting 4,799 persons of various offences.

In the meantime, 704 cases are awaiting trial whilst 1188 cases are under investigation.

Some 28 motorists were jailed for their crimes, whilst 84 others were discharged.

Offences

Driving without licence – 1,299

The leading offence on the roads in 2021 was that of driving without licence. This was most prevalent in the Ashanti Region, where about 653 motorists were arrested for driving without their licences.

It was followed by the Greater Accra Region, with 309 drivers caught without their licences.

The Western Region and the Western North regions recorded 86 and 57 cases respectively.

The Bono Region recorded 56 cases, whilst the Central Region followed with 47 cases. The Eastern Region recorded 40 cases, whilst the Bono East and Volta regions ended the year with 17 cases each. The Ahafo Region recorded 10 cases, whilst the North East Region recorded seven.

Driving with expired documents: 768

The second-highest infraction recorded among motorists in 2021 was the offence of driving with expired documents.

This was most common in the Ashanti Region, where some 337 incidents of driving with expired documents were recorded by the police.

This was followed by the Western Region, where 118 drivers were caught driving with expired documents. In the Greater Accra Region, 111 drivers were arrested for driving with expired documents.

In the Eastern Region, 46 of such cases were recorded, with the Western North following close behind with 43.

The Central Region in 2021 recorded 31 cases of drivers driving with expired documents. The Bono East Region recorded 29 cases, whilst the Bono Region recorded 20. The Ahafo and Volta regions recorded less than 20 cases with 17 and 13 goals respectively.

Tema with two, and the Western North with one case, made up the rest of the cases of driving with expired documents.

Driving with worn-out tyres: 219

In 2021, a total of 219 drivers were arrested by the police for driving vehicles with worn-out tyres.

The Ashanti Region had the most cases, recording 87 cases. The Greater Accra Region followed with 67 cases.

The Western Region had 44 cases of drivers driving vehicles with expired tyres. The Bono East followed distantly with 11 cases.

The Easter Region recorded six cases, whilst the Volta Region recorded three, with the Western North recording just one case.

Riding without helmet: 203

For the offence of riding without a helmet, some 106 motorists were arrested in the Greater Accra Region. The Western Region recorded about 59 of such cases within the same period.

The Western North recorded about 14 cases, whilst the Upper West recorded 10. The Bono East and the Volta regions, however, recorded less than 10 cases with eight and six cases.

Driving without seatbelt/child restraint

Some 97 drivers were apprehended in the Ashanti Region for driving without seatbelts or child restraints.

The Greater Accra Region followed with 39 cases of drivers being caught without seatbelts or child restraints.

The Western Region in 2021 recorded 24 of these cases, whilst the Tema Region recorded four cases. The Western North and Bono East regions recorded a case each.

Drunk driving: 153

There were 153 drunk driving cases recorded in 2021. The Western North Region led the rest of the country with 70 cases.

The Ashanti Region recorded 36 drunk driving cases, whilst the Western Region had 20 cases. It was followed closely by the Greater Accra Region which recorded 19. The Bono East had six cases, whilst the Eastern Region recorded two.

Overloading: 118

The Western Region recorded the most cases of overloading in 2021 with 40 incidents. It was followed by the Greater Accra Region, which recorded 39 cases. The Bono East and Western North followed distantly with 12 cases each.

The Eastern Region recorded about four cases, whilst the Central and North East regions recorded one case each.

Over speeding: 105

In the area of over speeding, the Western Region led the country in 2021, with 51 drivers being arrested for the offence.

The Greater Accra Region followed with 29 cases, whilst the Eastern Region recorded 12 cases. The Bono Region had eight cases in total, whilst the Central and Volta regions recorded a case each.

Others: 3,843

For other offences, the Ashanti Region led the other regions with 1,496 cases. It was followed by Greater Accra Region, which recorded 1177 cases.

The Tema Region recorded 336 cases in this category, whilst the Central and Western regions had 315 cases each.

The Bono Region recorded 187 cases, whilst the Bono East recorded 145 cases. The Volta Region, on its part, recorded 59 cases.

The Ahafo Region recorded 32 cases, whilst the Upper West Region recorded about 10 cases.

The North East Region and the Oti Region recorded less than 10 cases with nine and five cases respectively.

There were no cases recorded in the Upper East, Northern and Savannah regions in 2021.