The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has renewed calls for stricter compliance with traffic laws after road crashes claimed 2,673 lives between January and November 2025, representing an 18.5 per cent increase compared with the same period the previous year.

The surge has heightened concerns about driver behaviour as the country begins 2026.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Deputy Director of Planning and Programmes at the NRSA, Henry Asomani, said the latest figures point to persistent indiscipline on the roads, with speeding, drink-driving, unlicensed driving and the use of unregistered vehicles continuing to top the list of crash causes.

He stressed that reversing the trend would require sustained enforcement alongside continuous public education.

These efforts, he explained, combined routine enforcement with direct engagement of motorists and passengers to reinforce safe driving practices rather than relying solely on punishment.

As part of the outreach, the NRSA also took safety messages directly to lorry stations across the country, engaging drivers while vehicles were being loaded. According to him, this approach allowed the Authority to reach motorists at critical moments and reinforce key messages on speed limits, vehicle condition and responsible driving.

The campaign was supported by corporate partners, including Zen Petroleum, which funded the installation of road safety billboards along major highways such as the Kumasi–Tamale corridor, and Guinness Ghana, which partnered the Authority on drink-driving awareness campaigns during the festive season.

Data from the National Road Traffic Crash and Casualty Situation Statistics Report show that 13,320 crashes were recorded within the period, involving 22,532 vehicles and resulting in 15,173 injuries. Of these, 47 % were classified as minor, 36%  serious and 17% fatal. The report also indicated that 2,312 pedestrians were knocked down in road crashes.

Children were not spared, with 296 of the fatalities involving persons below 18 years, while adults accounted for 2,377 deaths. Males made up about 80 per cent of those killed, and the Ashanti, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions recorded the highest numbers of crashes, injuries and fatalities nationwide.

Mr Asomani attributed part of the rising death toll to ongoing road construction activities, which he said often encouraged drivers to speed in an attempt to make up for time lost in traffic, particularly along routes linking the Western, Central and Northern corridors.

He said the NRSA was working closely with the Ghana Highway Authority and road contractors to improve traffic management, enhance signage and ensure the availability of safe alternative routes.

He reminded motorists that Ghana’s maximum speed limit is 100 kilometres per hour, while vehicles must not exceed 50 kilometres per hour in built-up areas, noting that the limits are designed to give drivers enough reaction time to avoid pedestrians and unexpected obstacles.

“It is better to arrive late than to be caught in a crash, and better to be patient on the road than to become a patient in hospital,” Mr Asomani said, as he urged all road users to remain law-abiding and safety-conscious. He wished Ghanaians safe travel in 2026 and expressed hope that collective responsibility would lead to a significant reduction in road traffic deaths.