Enough of the carnage on our roads

The grim state of road safety in Ghana demands more than expressions of concern after every major crash. It demands urgent and sustained action.

The latest Ofankor accident, which claimed 11 lives and injured 13 others, is another painful reminder of how vulnerable road users have become. Behind every statistic is a family that has lost a loved one, a breadwinner, a parent or a friend.

The scale of the problem is alarming. Figures from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) show that 2,994 people were killed in road crashes in 2025, the highest number of road deaths recorded in 35 years. Another 16,714 people sustained injuries.

Between January and April this year alone, 1,009 people were killed in road crashes nationwide.

These figures should concern every Ghanaian and compel the authorities to treat road safety as a national emergency.

The Ghanaian Times welcomes renewed calls from stakeholders, including road safety experts, civil society organisations and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), for tougher enforcement of road traffic regulations.

Concerns about speeding, dangerous driving and the increasing use of motorcycles and tricycles on major highways cannot be ignored. Neither can the call for stronger monitoring of driver behaviour.

Professor Duah Agyemang’s proposal for an immediate ban on two- and three-wheeled motorised vehicles on major highways deserves serious consideration.

His concerns about tricycles operating in high-speed lanes, particularly when stopping to pick up or drop off passengers, raise legitimate questions about road safety.

However, any restriction must take account of the livelihoods that depend on such vehicles. A blanket ban without practical alternatives could create another social and economic problem.

The proposal by Lead Resource Centre for dedicated lanes for tricycles, motorcycles and bicycles is therefore also worth examining.

Where these vehicles are permitted to operate, appropriate infrastructure can reduce conflicts with other road users.

The PCG’s call for strict enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (LI 2519), must equally receive urgent attention. Laws are useful only when they are enforced consistently.

There is little value in imposing sanctions on paper while reckless drivers continue to endanger lives with little fear of consequences.

The authorities must strengthen highway patrols, enforce speed limits, deal firmly with dangerous driving and ensure that commercial drivers comply with safety requirements.

The proposal for a dedicated Mobile Police Unit to patrol major highways should also be seriously assessed.

But enforcement alone will not solve the problem.

Road infrastructure matters. The government must expedite the completion of the Accra-Kumasi and Accra-Takoradi dualisation projects and associated bypasses. Road projects must also meet acceptable standards of quality, durability and value for money.

Reports of the collapse of the Sataso Bridge on the Mampong-Ejura road following recent heavy rains should not be taken lightly. Infrastructure failures can have devastating consequences for motorists and communities.

Ghana must also revisit its railway system. The PCG is right to advocate the revival and expansion of the national railway network.

A reliable rail system linking major cities would reduce pressure on the roads and provide a safer alternative for moving people and goods.

The immediate priority, however, must be to save lives on the roads we have today.

The government, police, transport authorities, road agencies, driver unions and motorists must all accept responsibility. Commercial drivers must stop treating speed as a measure of efficiency, while passengers must refuse to encourage reckless driving.

The Ghanaian Times calls on the government to make road safety a sustained national priority, strengthen enforcement and urgently address dangerous roads and practices.

Ghana cannot continue counting bodies after every major crash and then return to business as usual.

Every road death is one too many. The time to act is now, before another family receives the devastating news that a loved one will not be coming home.

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