July 2023 witnessed a distressing surge in road accident fatalities in Ghana, with the death toll soaring by 30.07% compared to July 2022, as reported by the Road Traffic Crash and Casualty Situation report.
Tragically, 186 lives were lost due to road accidents in July 2023, compared to 143 fatalities during the same period in 2022. Among the victims, 149 were males (80%), and 37 were females (20%).
In addition to the fatalities, a staggering 1,328 individuals were injured in road accidents, including 213 pedestrians who were tragically knocked down. The report documented 1,233 road crashes involving 2,099 vehicles in July 2023.
A breakdown of vehicle types involved in the accidents revealed that commercial vehicles accounted for 742 cases (35.35%), private vehicles for 917 (43.69%), and motorcycles for 440 (20.96%). In motorcycle-related incidents, 74% were two-wheelers (325 motorbikes), and 21% were three-wheelers (93 tricycles).
Despite the private vehicle category showing a decrease in crash involvement in 2023 compared to 2022, the report highlighted a concerning increase of 17.59% in crashes involving commercial vehicles and 2.09% for motorcycles. Additionally, there was a 4.91% decline in pedestrian knock-downs in July 2023 compared to the previous year.
The report also indicated an 8.76% rise in the number of persons injured through road accidents in July 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern regions were the top three regions with the highest number of crashes, recording 469, 299, and 139 crashes respectively.
As Ghana grapples with this alarming rise in road accidents and their devastating consequences, it underscores the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures and public awareness campaigns to curb this distressing trend.