Each year, countless Ghanaians depart from their residences filled with optimism, but unfortunately encounter disasters on our highways.
Car crashes have turned into an almost routine aspect of our everyday existence, a quiet epidemic that claims more lives each year than numerous fatal illnesses. The figures are astounding, and the toll on humanity is beyond measure.
The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) reports that Ghana saw over 15,000 road accidents in 2023, leading to more than 2,000 fatalities and over 13,000 injuries.
These statistics ought to keep us awake at nights, particularly when we acknowledge that most of the victims fall within the working-age bracket of 18 to 55 years old.
This goes beyond merely being a public health emergency; it also constitutes an economic crisis, a development challenge, and most poignantly, an ongoing humanitarian disaster unfolding daily.
The Condition of Our Roadways: Beyond Mere Potholes
It's easy to attribute everything to the decline of our road infrastructure, and indeed, substandard roads play a significant role.
A significant number of highways do not have essential safety elements like clear lane markers, operational streetlights, designated footpaths for pedestrians, and appropriate signs.
Country lanes frequently tend to be narrow and unsealed, filled with potholes. Meanwhile, urban traffic jams in cities like Accra and Kumasi heighten the likelihood of collisions because of reckless driving, unauthorized U-turns, and hazardous lane changes.
However, it's not solely about the condition of the roads. The underlying reasons for Ghana's road safety issues are much more intricate and interwoven.
The Human Element: Negligence and Lack of Discipline
The primary reason for road accidents in Ghana is human error —this point has been repeatedly emphasized by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service. Over 70% of accidents are due to drivers' lack of discipline.
Excessive speeding, improper passing, driving under the influence of alcohol, driver exhaustion, and neglect of traffic regulations are widespread issues. Freight vehicle operators frequently ignore speed restrictions due to the pressure they face to complete additional journeys and increase their earnings.
Individual drivers, such as those providing rideshare services, may occasionally receive inadequate training or display irresponsible behavior while driving.
Walkers also have their role—in particular, jaywalking is widespread, and numerous individuals refrain from using marked crosswalks, frequently due to the absence of such facilities in close proximity.
The Car Concern: Lethal Vehicles On The Road
A large number of vehicles on Ghana's streets lack proper road fitness. You often see overloaded buses, inadequately serviced taxis, dilapidated trucks, and shaky trotros. Brake failures occur frequently as do tire bursts; many headlights aren't functional. Nonetheless, such vehicles keep operating regardless of whether they have legitimate certifications for road readiness.
There is no denying that corruption within the vehicle inspection and licensing systems allows roadworthy certifications to be issued for substandard vehicles. This endemic issue poses a significant risk.
Emergency Response: Too Little, Too Late
An essential yet frequently neglected aspect of road safety is post-crash care. Numerous casualties perish not due to untreatable injuries, but rather from delayed assistance. The responsiveness of ambulances varies greatly, particularly in areas beyond large urban centers.
If present, first responders frequently do not have the necessary training or resources to provide adequate assistance. Often, bystanders who offer help end up transporting injured individuals using taxis or personal vehicles, which can occasionally exacerbate their conditions.
This situation is intolerable. An improved, well-coordinated nationwide emergency response mechanism has the potential to save several hundred lives annually.
Weaknesses in Enforcement: Toothless Laws
Ghana boasts reasonable regulations concerning road traffic, yet the implementation of these rules remains inadequate. It is common for drivers to disregard red signals, operate vehicles sans seatbelts, and engage with their handheld devices behind the wheel. Numerous violators manage to evade consequences, whereas individuals apprehended typically receive only minimal penalties or escape punishment through bribery.
Police officers on our streets ought to serve as a deterrent—but frequently, they fail to do so. Factors such as corruption, insufficient resources, and inadequate oversight foster an environment where individuals feel exempt from consequences.
Progress Ahead: Turning Words into Deeds
Road safety can no longer be considered merely a periodic issue, addressed solely around holidays or following major accidents. Instead, it should be regarded as a nationwide priority that demands attention throughout the year and across all levels of governance.
Below are several important suggestions:
Invest in Road Infrastructure: Contemporary roadways equipped with adequate illumination, clear markings, signage, and provisions for pedestrians can significantly decrease accident rates. Safety should be the primary concern in designing these roads, rather than being overlooked until later stages.
Enforce Traffic Laws Relentlessly: Utilize technologies like speed cameras, dashcams, and automatic fines to enforce adherence. The NRSA, MTTD, and DVLA should be granted the authority—and responsibility—to carry out their duties impartially and effectively.
Revamp Driver Education and Certification We need to revamp our driving schools to create skilled and well-behaved motorists. Licenses ought to be awarded based solely on merit. Additionally, regular retesting and compulsory refresher classes should be implemented.
Streamline the Vehicle Examination Process Convert vehicle roadworthiness tests into digital format and track them to prevent corruption and guarantee that only safe vehicles operate on the streets.
Mass Education Campaigns: Road safety at the national level should become an integral part of our cultural ethos. It’s essential for various sectors such as media outlets, educational institutions, religious organizations, transportation unions, and community-based associations to participate in consistent, understandable initiatives aimed at altering mindsets and conduct related to road use.
Improve Emergency Response: \xa0Expand and properly equip the National Ambulance Service. Train first responders. Install more emergency call stations along highways and ensure hospitals are ready to handle trauma cases effectively.
Hold Institutions Accountable: Transportation firms, particularly commercial fleets, should adhere to stringent safety regulations. Ministries, departments, and agencies need to lead by example—rather than merely speaking about it.
Conclusion: An Appeal for Unified Effort
Each road accident in Ghana is a preventable disaster. Hidden behind these numbers are actual individuals—parents, offspring, siblings, companions—whose life journeys have been suddenly halted or irrevocably transformed. It’s high time we moved past the stage of assigning blame.
What we need now is\xa0 collective, sustained action —ranging from policymakers, transportation unions, drivers, engineers, law enforcement agencies, the media, and every Ghanaian.
Road safety is not an amenity; it is a fundamental right. We must collectively stand up to protect it.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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