Road crashes: 752 killed in 3 months, a 23.5% rise

New data on road traffic crashes and fatalities across the country from January to March 2025 shows that 752 people lost their lives on Ghana’s roads.
This marks a 23.5% increase in road traffic deaths compared to the same period in 2024 and raises urgent concerns about road safety across the nation.
Also worrying is the increase in all key indicators such as crashes-7.9%, injuries-12.1%, and pedestrian knockdowns-13.4%, and vehicles involved in crashes-6.1%.
The data was released by Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA).
Of the 752 killed, 91 (or 12%) were children under the age of 18, while 661 (88%) were adults.
The data points to a ratio of seven adults dying for every one child, highlighting the higher risk of exposure adults face due to their more frequent movement and economic activity. Nonetheless, the loss of 91 children remains a disturbing statistic that calls for heightened pedestrian safety, particularly around schools and residential areas.

Crashes, injuries, and pedestrian knockdowns
In total, 3,674 road traffic crashes were recorded nationwide in the first quarter of 2025.
These involved 6,143 vehicles of various types, leading to 5,039 casualties.
This figure includes the 752 deaths and 4,287 injuries, representing a 12.1% increase in injuries compared to the same period in 2024.
The upward trend extends to pedestrian knockdowns as well, with 650 pedestrians hit between January and March 2025—up 13.4% from 573 in 2024.
January 2025 witnessed the highest number of crashes, with 1,252 incidents recorded, followed by February with 1,204. Interestingly, while February saw fewer crashes, it also recorded the highest number of deaths—267 in a single month.
The highest number of injuries, however, occurred in February, reaching 1,532, while March saw the least injuries at 1,360.

Private vehicles dominate road incidents
Private vehicles accounted for the highest share of vehicles involved in crashes from January to March 2025, contributing 40% of all incidents. Commercial vehicles followed with 34%, while motorcycles (including two- and three-wheelers) constituted 26%.
However, a closer look at year-on-year changes reveals that the involvement of commercial vehicles and motorcycles rose significantly—by 5.9% and 20.4% respectively.
In contrast, the involvement of private vehicles slightly decreased by 1.8%.
Breaking down two- and three-wheeler involvement further, motorbikes made up 73% of all cycles involved in crashes during this period, while tricycles contributed 24%.
Bicycles and handcarts were involved in 2% and 1% of cases respectively.
Though motorcycles are the least involved vehicle category in overall crash counts, their relative share remains alarmingly high given their lower population compared to other vehicle types.

Regional trends and disparities
The data paints a complex regional picture. The Greater Accra Region recorded a notable 20% reduction in road fatalities compared to the same period in 2024.
However, despite this improvement, it still reported the highest number of crashes—more than double that of the Eastern Region.
Surprisingly, the Eastern Region surpassed Greater Accra in terms of deaths.
For every 100 crashes, the Eastern Region recorded 28 deaths compared to just 10 in Greater Accra.
This suggests a greater severity of crashes in the Eastern Region, possibly due to road conditions, vehicle types, or emergency response issues.
The Ashanti Region, meanwhile, witnessed a sharp spike in fatalities, recording 39 more deaths than last year—representing a 25% year-on-year increase.
These figures position Ashanti, Eastern, and Greater Accra as the three most critical regions for road traffic management in the country.

Crash categories and implications
The MTTD categorizes road crashes based on severity. Fatal crashes are those resulting in at least one death within 30 days of the incident.
Serious crashes involve injuries requiring hospitalization for over 24 hours, while minor crashes involve injuries needing less than 24 hours of care or none at all.
With nearly every indicator—crashes, injuries, deaths, and pedestrian knockdowns—on the rise in the first quarter of 2025, the implications are dire.
Not only are more lives being lost, but the nation’s hospitals and emergency response systems are being placed under increased strain.

Calls for stronger action
Experts are urging the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and its partners to urgently step up road safety campaigns and enforcement.
This includes improved traffic law compliance, stricter licensing and regulation of commercial drivers, and greater education on pedestrian safety, especially for children and vulnerable road users.
The sharp rise in motorcycle-related crashes has also sparked calls for stricter helmet use enforcement and dedicated lanes to separate vulnerable road users from heavy traffic.
Meanwhile, the disparities in regional death rates highlight the need for targeted interventions and improved emergency response systems outside major urban centers.
Ghana’s road safety challenge is becoming a public health crisis. With 752 lives lost in just three months, the country must act swiftly to curb the alarming trend and protect its citizens on the roads.
By ELVIS DARKO, Accra