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Traffic accidents

Vehicle Maintenance Crucial in Reducing Road Crashes in Ghana

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Ghana has seen a disturbing trend of road crashes, with over 4,700 incidents recorded between January and April this year, resulting in over 5,000 injured persons and over 1,000 deaths. The Deputy Director of Education, Research, and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, emphasizes the importance of regular vehicle maintenance in preventing these accidents. During a workshop for transit truck drivers, he stressed the need to ensure vehicles are in good working condition, with proper lighting and necessary notices, to minimize the risk of crashes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Director of Education, Research, and Training, Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, urged vehicle owners to maintain their vehicles regularly to reduce road crashes.
  • Between January and April 2023, over 4,700 road crashes were recorded in Ghana, involving over 8,000 vehicles, resulting in over 5,000 injured persons and over 1,000 deaths.
  • Chief Supt. Obeng attributed some of the causes of crashes to defective lights, tires, reflectors, drivers' issues, overloading, overtaking, and abandoning faulty vehicles.
  • He urged drivers to follow road traffic regulations, rest after four hours of driving, and not to abandon faulty vehicles on the road.
  • The Director emphasized the importance of checking indiscipline on the road and reducing road crashes through the presence of law enforcement.
  • He asked drivers to consider the economic and human impact of preventable crashes.
  • The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) organized a sensitization workshop on road regulations and axle loading for transit truck drivers and other stakeholders.

Statistics:

  • Over 4,700 road crashes were recorded between January and April 2023 in Ghana.
  • Over 8,000 vehicles were involved in these crashes.
  • Over 5,000 persons were injured and over 1,000 people died in these crashes.
  • 1,365 of the crashes involved trucks.
  • The Director emphasized the impact of preventable crashes on lives, properties, goods, and the economy.

Sources:

  • Ghana News Agency, 13 May 2025.

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