The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) of Ghana has expressed concern over the increasing number of road crashes and deaths as the festive season approaches. According to the NRSA, 4,899 road crashes were recorded between January and April 2026, a 2.5 per cent increase from the 4,779 crashes logged during the same period in 2025. This trend is alarming, especially with millions of travellers expected to take to the roads for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The NRSA has recorded 1,009 deaths nationwide due to these crashes, prompting Director-General Abraham Amaliba to urge drivers and transport operators to exercise caution and tighten discipline on the roads. Amaliba made a direct appeal to drivers and unions during meetings at the Circle and Kaneshie commercial terminals in Accra, cautioning against speeding, reckless driving, and disregard for road signs. He emphasized that such indiscipline becomes more hazardous as traffic volumes surge during the holidays.
The festive season is traditionally one of the busiest travel periods in Ghana, with commercial vehicles, private cars, and buses carrying large numbers of passengers. A rise in crashes during this period directly threatens the safety of passengers who rely on commercial transport for their journeys. Past festive seasons have seen spikes in fatalities, prompting the NRSA to take proactive measures to prevent such incidents.
Amaliba specifically appealed to drivers not to succumb to pressure from vehicle owners or passengers to drive unsafely. He also urged transport union executives to tighten pre-departure vehicle and driver inspections, stressing that they carry responsibility as the first line of road safety advocacy. The NRSA Director-General emphasized that roads exist to move people and goods safely, not to become sites of tragedy.
The NRSA will continue working with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and other stakeholders to strengthen enforcement. Amaliba pointed to technology-driven tools such as TraffiTech, which the NRSA is deploying to help monitor and influence driver behaviour on the roads. This move aims to reduce road crashes and promote a culture of safety among road users.
Representatives from transport unions also contributed to the discussions, with Samuel Amoah, Deputy Industrial and Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), calling for the enforcement of rules requiring commercial transport operators to belong to recognised unions. Omari Osei, Welfare Secretary of the Odwana Drivers Association, requested that the NRSA run regular training programmes to enhance drivers' skills and responsiveness.
The NRSA's appeal was framed as an urgent call ahead of the Christmas and New Year travel period, with the authority seeking to avoid a repeat of the fatalities and injuries seen in previous festive seasons. While further scheduled engagements and enforcement measures were not specified, the NRSA's efforts aim to promote discipline and shared accountability among road users.
Key points
- The NRSA recorded 4,899 road crashes and 1,009 deaths between January and April 2026.
- The authority is urging drivers and transport operators to exercise caution and tighten discipline on the roads.
- The NRSA will deploy technology-driven tools, such as TraffiTech, to monitor and influence driver behaviour.
