Ghana must move beyond enforcement to tackle road deaths – Appiah Kusi Adomako

Ghana's Director of the West Africa Regional Centre of CUTS International, Appiah Kusi Adomako, has urged the nation to broaden its approach to addressing road fatalities beyond the efforts of traffic police and road safety agencies. Adomako argued that the country's current method of tackling road safety needs a significant overhaul, emphasizing the urgent need for increased investment, stronger enforcement, and collective responsibility.

Addressing the issue on JoyNews’ The Law, Adomako highlighted the severity of road crashes as a threat to public safety, suggesting that the government should consider declaring road crashes a public health emergency. He pointed out that in 2020 and 2022, the country recorded fewer than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths, while road crashes claimed over 2,500 lives in the previous year alone.

Comparing this with the response to COVID-19, Adomako observed that while the pandemic received substantial financial and institutional support, road safety had not received a comparable level of attention. He called for a more visible police presence on Ghana's roads and acknowledged the potential benefits of automated traffic enforcement measures, but stressed that these technologies should complement, not replace, traditional policing and preventive measures.

Adomako also emphasized that road safety should be a shared responsibility, not solely the domain of government agencies, urging motorists and the public to actively participate in reducing road crashes.