The Accra Metropolitan Assembly, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), has commemorated the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims.
This year’s event, held under the theme “Lost Talents,” sought to, among other things, honour those who have died on the roads, support bereaved families, and renew calls for stronger action to save lives.
The theme highlights that when people are killed or severely injured in road crashes, society loses not only their presence but also their ideas, potential, and future contributions.
Representing the Director-General of the NRSA, Martin Afram said the day offers Ghana an important opportunity to reflect on the human cost of road crashes.
He revealed that road fatalities had increased by 20 percent between January and September 2025 compared to the same period last year. As of September, Ghana had recorded 2,180 deaths and over 12,000 serious injuries.
Mr. Afram stressed that Ghana continues to lose about eight lives every day to road crashes, describing the numbers as real people, family members, colleagues, and friends whose memories must inspire urgent action.
He added that road crashes remain one of the world’s major health challenges, contributing to about 1.3 million deaths and up to 50 million injuries annually, with Africa bearing the highest fatality rate.
He noted that Ghana loses about 1.6 percent of its GDP to road crashes each year and explained that men make up roughly 75 percent of these deaths, leaving many families without breadwinners.
He emphasised that road crashes are preventable because the causes, including speeding, drunk driving, unsafe vehicles, non-use of seatbelts, weak enforcement, and poor road conditions are well known.
Mr. Afram underscored the need for effective post-crash care, including strong ambulance services, trained emergency responders, and ready hospitals.
He added that victims and families also require psychological and legal support, which he described as a basic human right.
He urged religious leaders to continue promoting responsible road behaviour, encouraged drivers to obey speed limits and avoid fatigue, alcohol and distractions, and advised pedestrians to use footbridges and reflective clothing at night.
He also reminded motorcyclists to always wear helmets and obey traffic signals.
The national Chairman of the Alcohol Policy Alliance–Ghana (GhanAPA), Benjamin Anabila, said his organisation has been working since 2018 to reduce alcohol-related harm through policy development and advocacy.
He said GhanAPA has engaged key institutions, including the Ministry of Health, FDA, GHS, the Mental Health Authority, the NRSA and WHO, on the implementation of Ghana’s National Alcohol Policy.
Mr. Anabila added that GhanAPA supported the drafting of the National Alcohol Control Regulations and continues to advocate for their passage.
He said the World Day of Remembrance is not only a moment to mourn but also a call to act, noting that 1,937 people were killed and 10,957 injured in 9,626 crashes in the first eight months of 2025.
He explained that alcohol accounts for an estimated 27 percent of global road traffic injuries and stressed that alcohol-impaired driving remains a major preventable cause of crashes in Ghana.
He called for Ghana’s blood alcohol concentration limit to be reduced from 0.08 to 0.02 and urged Parliament to speed up the passage of the Draft Alcohol Control Regulations.
Mr. Anabila emphasised that every life and every journey matter, and preventable deaths must strengthen Ghana’s resolve to act.
By: Jacob Aggrey
