The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has reported that 337 people have died in road traffic accidents between January and October 2022 in the Ashanti Region.

According to the NRSA, about 2,886 road accidents were recorded, with 3,552 people sustaining various degrees of injuries.

The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Madam Simbiat Wiredu, speaking at the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crashes Victims held in Kumasi, disclosed that a total of 21,596 vehicles, comprising commercial, private, and motorcycles, were involved in road accidents.

Madam Wiredu blamed the alarming rate of road crashes in the country on indiscipline and disregard for road traffic regulations by motorists.

She noted that 60 % of the crashes were caused by over-speeding, while 23 % were caused by stationary vehicles on roads.

Despite the alarming figures, the Ashanti Regional Director of NRSA indicated that the region has recorded a marginal decrease in fatalities.

She stated that in 2021, 450 individuals would lose their lives through road carnage.

This means the Ashanti Region has witnessed an 18% decrease in the number of deaths recorded.

Ghana’s human capital is being lost at an alarming rate as a result of ongoing road accidents.

As part of efforts to address road carnages in the country, NSRA has launched the drive safety campaign to curb road crashes by making people aware of the importance of driving with caution.

2022 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

The 2022 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims held in Kumasi was organised by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in collaboration with the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety and the National Road Safety Authority.

The event, dubbed “Justice” is organised to remember all those killed and injured in road crashes and acknowledge the crucial work of emergency services.

As part of the celebration, the Kumasi Mayor, Mr. Samuel Pyne, together with the representative from Bloomberg, donated items to victims of road crashes.

He also presented five speed measuring devices to the Ghana Police Service to check vehicular speed on roads.

Source: The Independent Ghana