As Ghana grapples with rising road traffic fatalities, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has issued a pressing call for the accelerated dualisation of major highways, emphasizing its vital role in preventing deadly head-on collisions and improving overall road safety.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Pearl Adusu Sateckla, Public Relations Officer of the NRSA, pointed to the stark statistics from the first five months of 2025, highlighting the Ashanti Region as the deadliest hotspot. Despite ranking second in crash occurrences (1,850), the region recorded the highest number of fatalities—325—underscoring a troubling pattern of severe crashes.
“Many of these fatalities stem from head-on collisions on single-lane roads where overtaking and driver error are common,” Mrs. Sateckla explained. She stressed that transforming such stretches into dual carriageways has proven effective in reducing both the frequency and severity of crashes.
The Nsawam–Suhum–Nkawkaw section of the Accra–Kumasi highway offers a clear example: prior to dualisation, it was notorious for accidents and loss of life, but improvements have led to a significant drop in incidents.
“Dual carriageways act as both physical and psychological barriers,” Mrs. Sateckla said. “They separate opposing traffic flows, minimizing fatal mistakes caused by misjudgment or distractions.”
The NRSA further spotlighted the Eastern and Savannah Regions as critical corridors needing urgent attention due to their strategic location linking southern and northern Ghana, as well as neighboring countries.
While the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest number of crashes (1,908), it ranked third in fatalities (161), and the Savannah Region reported a 52% increase in crashes—the highest percentage rise nationally. Contrastingly, the Northern Region saw a significant 51% decrease in crash incidents and a 71% drop in injuries, a development the NRSA urges stakeholders to study closely for replicable safety interventions.
Mrs. Sateckla also cautioned against complacency in low-traffic areas, noting that drivers often speed excessively on uncongested roads, increasing the risk of accidents.
Highlighting ongoing challenges, she decried delays in infrastructure projects, often caused by inadequate funding and resource misallocation. “Each postponed road upgrade is a potential life lost,” she said.
The NRSA’s message is clear: the dualisation of Ghana’s highways is not a luxury but an urgent lifesaving investment. Complemented by targeted enforcement and continuous road safety education, these infrastructural improvements are crucial to reversing the country’s disturbing road fatality trends.
