Road safety researcher cum Journalist, Seth Kwame Boateng and a Senior Planning Manager of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Henry Asomani have disclosed horrifying figures about road accidents in Ghana.
Discussing road safety and other related matters on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Seth Kwame Boateng indicated that a statistical data shows that nine (9) people die each day through road accidents.
He also revealed that road accidents claim 240 lives each month.
“Every 24 seconds, someone dies through road accident in the world. Ghana, until this year or last year, approximately six (6) people die each day. It has worsened this year; estimatedly nine (9) people die each day. Currently, when you look at the monthly figures, at least 240 people die through road accident every month . . . In September alone, people who died through road accident which the Police reported are 235 . . . In nine months, people who have died through commercial vehicles are 745. When you take private vehicles, the number is 489,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.
It is more terrifying to note that the number of people dying in road accidents exceeds COVID-19 deaths recorded in 2 years in Ghana.
According to Mr. Boateng, in nine months, 2,162 have died as a result of road accidents whereas “COVID-19 death cases in Ghana currently stands at 1,158”.
“Five (5) percent of road accident mortality is caused by unattended and abandoned vehicles,” he added.
Providing additional information, the NRSA Senior Manager noted that, “motor cycle deaths are 912. Pedestrain knockdowns deaths stand at 607; in general, those knocked down by vehicles are 2168”.
Henry Asomani further revealed that the injury rate from road accidents is 11,659.
The two gave these figures to tell Ghanaians how serious the issue of road safety is and to urge them to drive safely.
