Ghana’s motorcycle safety crisis has deepened sharply in 2025, with official data revealing that motorcycles are now responsible for an alarming share of road traffic deaths and injuries nationwide.
Between January and November 2025, a total of 1,239 people were killed in motorcycle-related crashes, marking a significant rise over the 955 fatalities recorded over the same period in 2024.
The figures point to a worsening trend that is unfolding across every region of the country, turning motorcycles into the single most lethal mode of transport on Ghana’s roads.
Out of the 2,673 road traffic fatalities recorded for all vehicle types in the first eleven months of 2025, motorcycle crashes alone accounted for more than 45 per cent.
This means that nearly one out of every two people who died on Ghana’s roads during the period lost their life in a motorcycle crash, underlining the scale of the public safety challenge confronting road authorities, lawmakers and law enforcement agencies.
Injuries rise alongside deaths
The rise in fatalities has been accompanied by a sharp increase in injuries, compounding the human and economic cost of motorcycle crashes.
The number of commuters injured in motorcycle-related incidents rose from 4,194 in the first nine months of 2024 to 5,113 in the same period this year.
The jump of nearly one thousand additional injuries within a year highlights the growing pressure on hospitals and families, as many victims suffer serious trauma, long-term disability or loss of income.
Data compiled by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service and analysed by the National Road Safety Authority show that 5,888 motorcycles were involved in crashes between January and November 2025.
The sheer volume of crashes underscores how deeply motorcycles are embedded in daily transport across urban, peri-urban and rural Ghana, while also exposing persistent weaknesses in rider behaviour, enforcement of traffic laws and road safety infrastructure.
Fatality hotspots
A closer look at the regional distribution of deaths shows that the motorcycle crisis is both widespread and unevenly concentrated. The Eastern South police region recorded the highest number of fatalities nationwide, with 162 deaths linked to motorcycle crashes.
The Ashanti police region followed with 124 deaths, while Accra recorded 114 fatalities and Tema 82.
Elsewhere in the Eastern zone, 72 deaths were recorded in the Eastern region and 10 in Eastern North.
In the Central corridor, fatalities stood at 39 in Central, 37 in Central East and 36 in Central North.
The Western zone recorded 31 deaths in Western, 57 in Western North and 30 in Western Central, reflecting a steady toll across coastal and mining communities.
The Ashanti area continued to record heavy losses beyond the metropolitan centre, with 57 deaths in Ashanti North and 71 in Ashanti South.
In the Volta areas, 45 people died in Volta and 18 in Volta North, while the Oti region recorded eight fatalities.
Northern Ghana was not spared, with 20 deaths in the Northern region, 12 in North East and 15 in Savanna.
Upper West recorded 15 fatalities and Upper East 45. In the Bono areas, 34 deaths were recorded in Bono, 76 in Bono East and 29 in Ahafo, reinforcing the national spread of motorcycle-related deaths.
Thousands injured across all regions
The injury figures mirror the fatality pattern and, in many cases, reveal an even larger scale of suffering.
Accra recorded 696 motorcycle-related injuries, while Tema reported 330.
The Eastern region recorded 223 injuries, Eastern North 38 and Eastern South 515, again placing Eastern South among the worst affected regions.
In the Central zone, Central recorded 137 injuries, Central East 199 and Central North 127.
The Western region recorded 72 injuries, while Western North recorded 222 and Western Central 55.
The Ashanti police region recorded the highest number of injuries nationwide, with 1,095 people injured in motorcycle crashes. Ashanti North recorded 210 injuries, while Ashanti South recorded 354.
In the Volta areas, 150 injuries were recorded in Volta and 130 in Volta North, with Oti recording 12.
In the north, the Northern region recorded 34 injuries, the North East 37 and the Savanna 27. Upper West recorded 43 injuries and Upper East 76.
In the Bono areas, 53 injuries were recorded in Bono, 182 in Bono East and 96 in Ahafo, further illustrating how motorcycle crashes are leaving thousands injured across the country.
Crash numbers underline the scale of exposure
The volume of crashes recorded per police region further highlights the extent of the problem.
The Ashanti police region recorded the highest number of motorcycle crashes at 1,154, followed closely by Accra with 1,004.
Eastern South recorded 562 crashes, Tema 400 and Ashanti South 350.
The Eastern region recorded 237 crashes, while Eastern North recorded 36.
In the Central areas, 140 crashes were recorded in Central, 162 in Central East and 152 in Central North.
Western recorded 142 crashes, Western North 196 and Western Central 107.
Volta recorded 231 crashes, Volta North 158 and Oti 22. In the north, 41 crashes were recorded in the Northern region, 32 in the North East and 28 in the Savanna.
Upper West recorded 55 crashes and Upper East 102.
In the Bono areas, 75 crashes were recorded in Bono, 170 in Bono East and 106 in Ahafo.
Deaths recorded under an illegal transport regime
Significantly, all these deaths, injuries and crashes were recorded at a time when the use of motorcycles for commercial public transport was illegal under Ghanaian law.
Despite the prohibition, motorcycles were widely used to carry passengers and goods, particularly in areas with limited public transport options.
The data, therefore, reflect the human cost of a sector that had expanded rapidly outside formal regulation and consistent enforcement
Legalisation raises urgent safety questions
This context makes Parliament’s recent decision to legalise commercial motorcycle transport especially consequential. Parliament has passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill, 2025, which seeks to legalise the commercial use of motorbikes, tricycles and quadricycles as part of efforts to create employment opportunities for the youth.
The bill completed all parliamentary stages, including first, second and third readings, and was supported by a report from the Committee on Roads and Transport.
Under the new law, a minimum riding age of 21 years has been proposed, reduced from the initially suggested 25 years, as the government moves to formally regulate a sector that had previously operated outside the law.
While the legislation is expected to introduce clearer rules on licensing and operations, the 2025 figures underline the urgency of strong enforcement, training and safety standards.
With motorcycles already responsible for over 45% of all road deaths, the challenge facing Ghana is whether legalisation will help tame a deadly trend, or whether fatalities will rise even further if regulation fails to match the scale of the risk.
