Current statistics on road traffic crashes reveal 2,126 lives have been lost within a period of nine months (January to September).

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in their latest release of motor accident returns for the same period, indicate that 20,225 vehicles were involved in various road crashes which resulted in the 2,126 deaths with 11,659 others being injured.

Further analysis by the Joy Research Desk reveals that the total number of deaths recorded in the period under review was 17.9 per cent lower than the total number of deaths due to road crashes recorded in 2020.

Comparative Analysis

Within a period of four years (2017 to 2020), Ghana has lost 8,716 lives to road accidents.

In 2017, 1,823 lives were lost. The number of deaths however, increased to 2,020 in 2018 and further soared to 2,284 in 2019. In 2020, a total of 2,589 deaths were recorded.

A trend analysis shows road traffic deaths have increased by 42 per cent in the period under review.

Although the year has not ended, it is evident per the 2,126 lives lost that road traffic deaths for 2021 has gone pass the average figure of 2,000.

Regional breakdown of road traffic deaths (January-September)

• Greater Accra – 492
• Eastern – 357
• Central- 151
• Western- 91
• Ashanti- 423
• Volta- 84
• Northern- 46
• Upper West- 37
• Upper East- 77
• Bono- 70
• Bono East- 95
• Ahafo- 56
• Oti- 15
• Savanna- 72
• Western North- 54
• North East- 6