The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has announced that road crashes and deaths have reduced by 16 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.

According to the NRSA statistics, 1,086 people died and 7,807 were injured in 6,904 road crashes from January to June this year. This is lower than the 1,300 deaths and 8,007 injuries in 7,687 crashes recorded in the first half of last year.

The statistics also showed that the number of vehicles involved in road crashes dropped from 13,248 to 11,763, while the number of pedestrians knocked down decreased from 1,356 to 1,205.

The Director-General of the NRSA, David Osafo Adonteng, told the Daily Graphic that the reduction in the road crash indicators was "great news" but more needed to be done to prevent road carnage.

He said it would take collective responsibility and positive attitude from all stakeholders and the public to ensure road safety.

He commended the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and the media for their roles in law enforcement and public education.

He said the NRSA would intensify its initiatives, especially the "Stay Alive" campaign, to curb road crashes.

He urged drivers to obey road traffic regulations and ensure that their vehicles were in good condition. He also advised passengers to speak up against reckless driving.

Regional breakdown

The statistics further revealed that private vehicles accounted for 46 per cent of vehicles involved in crashes, followed by commercial vehicles with 32 per cent and motorcycles with 22 per cent.

All these vehicle types recorded a decrease in their involvement in crashes compared to last year.

The Greater Accra Region had the highest number of crashes (2,886) and deaths (231), followed by Ashanti Region with 1,619 crashes and 194 deaths.

The Eastern Region had 711 crashes and 196 deaths, making it third in crashes but second in fatalities.

The Upper East, Bono East and Western regions recorded increases in deaths by 75 per cent, 20.3 per cent and 14.8 per cent respectively compared to last year.

The North East Region recorded no change and the rest of the regions recorded decreases, with Oti Region having the highest percentage decrease of 60 per cent.