Ghana’s road safety crisis deepened between January and October 2025 as the country recorded 2,429 deaths from road traffic crashes, marking a significant increase over the same period in 2024.
The latest provisional data compiled by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and analysed by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) of the Ghana Police Service reveal a troubling upward trend across nearly all indicators, from fatalities to pedestrian knockdowns, despite various national efforts to curb the carnage on the roads.
According to the statistics, the 2,429 deaths represent a 19.2% rise from the levels recorded in the first ten months of 2024.
The gender breakdown confirms an all-too-familiar pattern: 80% of the victims (1,937) were males, while females accounted for 20% (492).
Analysts say the resulting 1:4 fatality ratio—meaning one female dies for every four males—is consistent with historical trends, largely because men are more frequently exposed to high-risk traffic activities, including commercial driving and motorcycle use.
The data also show that young people remain vulnerable.
A total of 263 children below 18 years—representing 11% of all deaths—lost their lives in road crashes within the ten-month window.
Adults aged above 18 years formed the overwhelming majority with 2,166 deaths (89%), translating into a 7:1 ratio, where seven adults die for every child.
Injuries: 13,764 hurt in 2025
Beyond the deaths, injuries from road crashes remain disturbingly high.
A total of 13,764 injuries were recorded from January to October 2025, representing a 6.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Although the trendline for 2025 shows a slight decline month-by-month, the cumulative figure still exceeds that of the previous year.
February emerged as the most dangerous month for bodily harm, with 1,532 injuries, while July marked the lowest point with 1,230 injuries.
Safety observers note that the February peak coincided with heightened commercial transport activity and increased motorcycle movements.
Overall crashes surge to 11,935 in 2025
Within the ten-month period, Ghana recorded 11,935 crashes, a 7.3% rise over the same period in 2024.
These crashes involved 20,397 vehicles of various categories—an 8.0% increase from the year before—and resulted in 13,764 and 2,429 death.
The severity classifications paint a sobering picture. Out of the total crashes, 47% (5,571) were minor, 37% (4,401) were serious, and 16% (1,963) were fatal.
This distribution indicates that 2,429 crashes resulted directly in loss of life.
The monthly trends suggest a slight upward curve in 2025, unlike 2024, which showed a downward trajectory within the same period.
The month of May recorded the highest number of crashes at 1,332, while April recorded the least at 1,105.
Pedestrian knockdowns rise to 2,062
Pedestrians continue to face growing dangers, with 2,062 knockdowns recorded between January and October 2025.
This marks a 3.9% increase compared to 1,985 knockdowns in 2024.
May again was the deadliest month for pedestrians, with 265 knockdowns, reflecting the absence of safe crossing facilities on major urban and peri-urban routes.
Motorcycles remain high-risk despite smaller numbers
The data on vehicle categories offer another layer of concern. Although motorcycles (two/three-wheelers) constituted the least share of all involved vehicles at 26%, their crash and fatality impact remains disproportionately high relative to their share of Ghana’s total vehicle population.
Overall, private vehicles formed 40% of all vehicles involved in crashes in 2025, commercial vehicles 34%, and motorcycles 26%.
All three categories saw increases relative to 2024:
These are commercial vehicles increased by 3.0%, private vehicles by 6.7% and motorcycles by 19.1%.
Within the motorcycle group, the dominance of two-wheelers was striking.
From January to October 2025, motorbikes (2-wheelers) constituted 72% of all cycles involved in crashes, tricycles accounted for 25%, bicycles 2%, and handcarts 1%.
Safety experts warn that the motorcycle problem, particularly among young riders, could become even more alarming without strict enforcement, rider training, and licensing reforms.
An escalating national crisis
Taken together, the upward trends across fatalities, injuries, crashes, vehicle involvement, and pedestrian knockdowns indicate that Ghana’s road traffic situation is worsening in 2025. The sharp increases contrast with 2024’s more moderate or declining trends.
With 2,429 deaths in just ten months—an average of more than six lives lost per day—road crashes have again entrenched themselves as one of the country’s leading public health threats. Stakeholders say the figures underscore the urgent need for strengthened enforcement, expanded road safety education, improved road engineering, and stricter regulation of commercial and motorcycle transport.
Unless swift, coordinated measures are implemented, analysts warn, the cost—in both human lives and economic impact—will continue to mount as the year draws to a close.
