Ghana’s road deaths demand urgent action, researchers warn

Ghana's road safety crisis demands immediate action, according to researchers Enock Aninakwah and Isaac Aninakwah. In their paper, "A Nation in Motion, A People in Mourning," the pair argue that road deaths in Ghana are the result of a complex interplay of factors including unsafe roads, dangerous driving, and inadequate enforcement.

The authors, affiliated with the University of Ghana and St. Monica’s College of Education, utilized data from existing records and published research to analyze road traffic fatalities from 1991 to 2024. They found that over 46,000 people died in traffic accidents between 1991 and 2018, with an additional 2,494 deaths and 15,607 injuries reported in 2024 alone.

The researchers highlight several key areas needing improvement: poor road design and maintenance, lack of adequate lighting and signage, risky overtaking practices, and unsafe vehicles. These issues are further exacerbated by weak enforcement and shortcomings in emergency response, necessitating a coordinated approach to tackle the problem.

The authors recommend several measures, including safer road design with proper separation of opposing traffic, enhanced road maintenance, stricter vehicle roadworthiness checks, widespread public education campaigns, rigorous enforcement against reckless driving, and better coordination among transport and public safety institutions.

The authors emphasize that road safety should be viewed as a critical public health and development issue. They stress the importance of using reliable data to monitor the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing road fatalities. While their analysis primarily relies on reported fatality counts, they acknowledge the limitation of inconsistent long-term information on vehicle use and overall road usage, which hinders their ability to fully assess changes in risk relative to road use. The full paper can be accessed below.