Ghana's Road Safety Crisis: A National Public Health Emergency?

Ghana's roads have become increasingly deadly, with a 22% rise in deaths and a 10% increase in injuries in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The Ghana Police Service reported 7,289 road crashes involving 12,354 vehicles, resulting in 1,504 deaths and over 8,300 injuries between January and June 2025. CUTS International, a leading policy research and consumer advocacy organization, has called on the government to declare road safety a national public health emergency.

Key Takeaways:

• The Ghana Police Service reported 7,289 road crashes involving 12,354 vehicles between January and June 2025, resulting in 1,504 deaths and over 8,300 injuries.
• The number of deaths and injuries increased by 22% and 10%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2024.
• The Ashanti Region was the most fatal, recording 60 deaths in June alone, followed by the Eastern Region with 46 deaths and Greater Accra with 22 deaths.
• Motor riders are the primary culprits, disregarding traffic rules and riding haphazardly, often through red traffic lights.
• Passengers must be educated to caution drivers and complement police efforts to reduce alarming statistics and ensure safety on roads.
• The police must intensify surveillance on highways and arrest offending drivers to address human error and lack of proper judgment.

Statistics:

• 7,289 road crashes were reported by the Ghana Police Service between January and June 2025.
• 12,354 vehicles were involved in these crashes.
• 1,504 deaths were recorded during this period.
• Over 8,300 injuries were reported.
• The number of deaths increased by 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
• The number of injuries increased by 10% compared to the same period in 2024.

Sources:

• Ghana Police Service
• CUTS International
• The Chronicle
• National Road Safety Authority (NRSA)