Ghana Road Safety Advocates Urge Shift Beyond Enforcement to Educate C

Director Appiah Kusi Adomako of the West Africa Regional Centre of CUTS International has called for a more comprehensive approach to Ghana's road safety issues beyond the work of traffic police and road safety agencies.

Road Fatalities Demand Greater Investment

According to Mr Adomako, Ghana's approach to road safety must change significantly, given the scale of deaths recorded annually on Ghanaian roads. He noted that the country's persistent road fatalities, which exceeded 2,500 last year, demand greater investment, stronger enforcement, and collective responsibility.

Speaking on JoyNews' The Law on Sunday, Mr Adomako said road crashes had become a serious threat to public safety, warranting a level of national urgency comparable to other major public emergencies. He contrasted the response to road crashes with Ghana's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the significant imbalance in the country's allocation of resources towards public safety.

COVID-19 Comparison Exposes Resource Imbalance

Mr Adomako pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana mobilised considerable financial and institutional resources to contain the outbreak, despite the lower number of deaths. He noted that the government spent extensively on public education, restrictions, and enforcement measures to combat the pandemic. In contrast, he argued that road safety has not received a comparable level of investment despite the continuous loss of lives.

Enhanced Enforcement and Public Responsibility Needed

A key part of the change, Mr Adomako said, should be a more visible police presence on the country's roads. He argued that effective enforcement is necessary to influence driver behaviour and discourage violations that can lead to serious crashes. However, he welcomed the introduction of automated traffic offences under the new law, describing the use of technology as an important development in strengthening enforcement.

Mr Adomako stressed that new technology should complement, rather than replace, effective policing and other preventive measures. He also challenged the notion that responsibility for road safety rests primarily with specialised government institutions, saying motorists and the wider public must also play an active role in reducing road crashes. "Road safety should be everyone's responsibility, not only the police, not only NRSA, not only DVLA," he said.

Road Safety as a Long-term National Priority

The CUTS International director believes Ghana needs to rethink road safety as a long-term national priority rather than treating road crashes largely as isolated incidents requiring intervention after they occur. He noted that road crashes have become a daily occurrence, with roughly eight people losing their lives on Ghanaian roads each day. Mr Adomako's comments highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to road safety, one that involves government, the public, and road users working together to reduce the number of fatalities on Ghana's roads.

The call for a broader national response to Ghana's road fatalities comes as the country continues to grapple with the issue of road safety. With over 2,500 lives lost last year, the need for greater investment, stronger enforcement, and collective responsibility has never been more pressing.

Source: JOY