Accra records 34% increase in road traffic deaths for 2024

Accra has recorded a 34 percent surge in road traffic deaths in 2024, with pedestrians accounting for more than half of all fatalities.

This is according to the latest Accra Road Safety Report available to Today.Com.Gh.

The report, released on Monday at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) national partners meeting in Accra, revealed alarming trends in road safety across the city. It identified several high-risk crash zones, including the Kwashieman and North Dzorwulu intersections on the N1, the Flat Top junction, Abeka junction, and the ABii National junction on J.A. Kufuor Avenue. Nearly half of all fatal crashes were recorded on weekends, mostly occurring between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

According to the report, vulnerable road users remain the hardest hit, with pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists together making up 86 percent of all deaths in the capital.

Speaking at the launch, Accra Mayor Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, in a statement delivered on his behalf by the Coordinating Director of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr. Douglas N.K. Annoful, described the statistics as troubling and called for renewed efforts to improve road safety.

“These overwhelming numbers must stir us to double our efforts in various interventions,” he said. The Mayor announced the reintroduction of the *“red line policy”* aimed at removing hawkers from pavements to protect pedestrians.

He further explained that the initiative is both a safety and fairness measure. “Leadership requires making difficult but necessary decisions to protect lives,” he added.

Despite the increase in fatalities, the report highlighted a slight improvement in speeding control. It noted a drop in overspeeding incidents from 49 percent in March 2024 to 44 percent in September 2024, attributing the decline to strict enforcement and intensified public education campaigns.

Findings will help shape future interventions aimed at safeguarding pedestrians, reducing fatalities, and promoting safer roads in the capital.