Road crashes: 1,009 die in first quarter of 2026
A total of 1,009 persons were killed in road traffic crashes across the country between January and April this year despite a marginal decline in road fatalities compared to the same period last year, the National Road Safety Authority report has revealed.
The figure represents a decrease of just two deaths from the 1,011 fatalities recorded during the corresponding period in 2025, according to the latest road crash statistics.
The report, however, paints a worrying picture of road safety in the country as crashes, injuries, pedestrian knockdowns and vehicle involvement all recorded increases during the period under review.
In all, 4,899 road traffic crashes were reported nationwide between January and April 2026, representing a 2.5 per cent increase over the same period last year.
The crashes involved 8,300 vehicles, up by 3.2 per cent from 2025, while the number of persons injured rose by seven per cent to 5,982.
Road safety experts say the figures suggest that although fatalities declined marginally, the frequency and severity of crashes continue to pose a major public safety challenge.
The statistics indicated that males remained the most affected by road traffic fatalities.
Out of the 1,009 persons killed, 792, representing 78 per cent, were males, while 217, representing 22 per cent, were females.
The Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of fatalities with 263 deaths, followed by the Eastern Region with 218 and the Greater Accra Region with 144.
The Central Region recorded 90 deaths, while the Western Region registered 84 fatalities. Bono East recorded 48 deaths and Western North 40.
The Upper East and Volta regions each recorded 25 deaths, Bono Region 17, Ahafo Region 15, Oti and North East regions 10 each, Upper West Region nine, Savannah Region seven and Northern Region four.
The report also revealed that children continued to be among the victims of road crashes.
A total of 114 children below 18 years lost their lives during the four-month period, representing 11 per cent of all fatalities, while adults accounted for 895 deaths, representing 89 per cent.
Out of the 4,899 crashes recorded, 2,149 cases, representing 44 per cent, were classified as minor crashes, while 1,874, representing 38 per cent, were categorised as serious.
Fatal crashes accounted for 876 cases or 18 per cent of the total crashes recorded.
January emerged as the deadliest month, recording the highest number of crashes at 1,288 and the highest number of injuries at 1,670.
Pedestrian safety also remained a major concern.
The report showed that 862 pedestrians were knocked down by vehicles between January and April this year, compared to 831 recorded during the same period in 2025.
February recorded the highest number of pedestrian knockdowns with 237 cases.
Private vehicles accounted for the highest proportion of vehicles involved in crashes, representing 40 per cent of the total, followed by commercial vehicles with 32 per cent and motorcycles with 28 per cent.
Motorcycle crashes also remained a significant concern, with two-wheeled motorcycles accounting for 70 per cent of all cycles involved in crashes.
By Times Reporter
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