Across Ghana, these are no longer isolated moments of tragedy.
They have become a national chorus of pain.
Families are shattered. Breadwinners are buried. And what global authorities such as the World Health Organisation describe as preventable road traffic deaths continue to claim lives daily.
Every morning, thousands of Ghanaians set out for work, school and trade.
Too many do not return.
Yet, these deaths barely interrupt the national conscience. News bulletins mention them in passing. Public outrage is fleeting, unless, of course, a prominent figure is involved.
Meanwhile, the United Nations, through its Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030), warns that such normalisation reflects a deeper failure of governance, enforcement and accountability.
The numbers alone should alarm any serious leadership.
Data from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) shows that 2,949 people died on Ghana’s roads in 2025, the highest figure recorded in 35 years.
That is roughly eight deaths every single day.
The Ghana Police Service Motor Traffic and Transport Department attributes most of these crashes to speeding, dangerous overtaking and driver indiscipline.
These are not unavoidable incidents; they are the direct result of human behaviour and systemic failure.
Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks road traffic injuries among the leading causes of death, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
The World Bank further estimates that road crashes cost countries up to five per cent of GDP annually, a staggering economic loss for a developing country like Ghana.
Behind these statistics are real scenes of devastation: mangled vehicles on the Tema Motorway, burnt-out buses at Nsawam and grieving families from Kumasi to Tamale burying loved ones week after week.
This is not a mystery.
The causes are well known.
Poor road conditions: potholes, weak signage, and poor lighting continue to turn highways into death traps, a reality acknowledged even by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
At the same time, enforcement remains dangerously weak.
Data and operational reports from both the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority and the Ghana Police Service Motor Traffic and Transport Department point to widespread violations: unlicensed drivers, unroadworthy vehicles and blatant disregard for traffic laws.
The truth is uncomfortable but unavoidable: Ghana does not have a law problem—it has an enforcement problem.
The WHO is clear; countries that strictly enforce speed limits, vehicle standards and drink-driving laws significantly reduce road fatalities. Ghana has not reached that level of seriousness.
Driver behaviour only compounds the situation. Speeding, fatigue and reckless overtaking remain routine. Research, including work by Afukaar (2003), identifies speeding as a major contributor to fatal crashes in developing countries, yet on our highways, speed limits are treated as suggestions, not rules.
This raises a critical question: Where are the Road Safety institutions?
What is the impact of the National Road Safety Authority, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority and the Ghana Police Service Motor Traffic and Transport Department if fatalities continue to rise?
The World Bank has consistently pointed to weak institutional accountability as the key reason road safety interventions fail. Ghana appears to be no exception. No serious consequences.
No high-level accountability. No urgency. That must change, and it must change now.
First, enforcement must become uncompromising. Deploy speed cameras. Enforce penalties without exception. Remove the discretion that enables corruption.
Second, the commercial transport sector must be reformed. Mandatory rest periods, strict licensing and rigorous vehicle inspections should not be optional—they should be enforced.
Third, while long-term infrastructure projects continue, immediate interventions such as fixing potholes, improving lighting and installing proper signage can save lives today.
Finally, emergency response systems must be strengthened.
The WHO emphasises that timely post-crash care is critical. Faster ambulance response times can mean the difference between life and death.
This is not just a transport issue. It is a leadership test.
The United Nations has called on governments to take bold, evidence-based action to halve road deaths by 2030. Ghana is far from that trajectory.
Beyond the human tragedy, the economic cost, including lost productivity, healthcare burdens, and infrastructure damage, is immense, as highlighted by the World Bank.
This is a national crisis hiding in plain sight. Ghanaians are not asking for miracles.
They are demanding protection.
Until decisive action is taken, the question will remain unavoidable:
Is the President (the Commander in Chief) truly aware—and if so, is he truly concerned?
Emmanuel Ansu Twum.
Email Address:
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
