Ghana's Roads Are Killing Us Faster Than We Are Responding ‎

Ghana lost 2,151 people to road crashes between January and September 2026. The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) says another 12,230 people were injured. The police recorded 10,157 crashes involving 17,197 vehicles.

Spread across the 273 days of the period, that is about eight deaths and 37 crashes every day. Roughly one in five recorded crashes ended in a death. These are not just statistics. They are breadwinners, schoolchildren, traders and drivers who left home and never came back.

A national emergency
ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, the MTTD's Director of Education, Research and Training, disclosed the figures in a Citi FM interview on Thursday, October 8. He said the data covers crashes reported across all 25 police regions. He described the crashes as preventable and urged motorists and other road users to be more cautious.

The word "preventable" matters. Nine months of killing at this scale cannot be called an accident in any meaningful sense. It is the predictable result of weak enforcement, poor driver discipline and unsafe roads.

Not an isolated year
Last year's picture was no better. The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) recorded 14,743 crashes nationwide in 2025, with 2,949 deaths, about 7 per cent more than in 2024. The MTTD and NRSA compile their figures differently, so the two sets of numbers are not strictly comparable. Still, both point the same way. Ghana has not turned the corner.

There is a glimmer of hope. MTTD data reportedly show crashes fell 9.48% in September, with fatalities down 7.82%. One month does not make a trend, and December has historically been brutal. NRSA data show December 2025 deaths rose 16 per cent over December 2024. With the festive season approaching, the next ninety days will test whether the September dip was real.

What must happen
First, enforcement must be consistent and visible, not seasonal. The recurring causes are well known: speeding, dangerous overtaking, driver fatigue and drink-driving.

Second, the MTTD, NRSA and DVLA must coordinate on licensing, vehicle roadworthiness and public education instead of working in silos.

Third, motorcycle and commercial-vehicle operators, who are routinely involved in fatal crashes, need targeted attention. Fourth, government and corporate Ghana must fund road safety education all year round, as the NRSA keeps pleading.

Every one of the 2,151 had a family waiting for them. The authorities have told us the crashes were preventable, so the real question is how many more lives we will lose before we act on that.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,
International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)
Mustysallama@gmail.com
+233555275880

Sources
Graphic Online, "Road accidents claim 2,151 lives in 10,157 crashes from January to September" (October 8, 2026): https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/road-accidents-claim-2-151-lives-in-10-157-crashes-from-january-to-september.html

MyJoyOnline, "MTTD records 2,151 road deaths in 10,157 crashes between January and September" (October 8, 2026): https://www.myjoyonline.com/mttd-records-2151-road-deaths-in-10157-crashes-between-january-and-september/

Citi Newsroom, "2,151 killed in 10,157 road crashes from January to September – MTTD" (October 2026): https://www.citinewsroom.com/2026/10/2151-killed-in-10157-road-crashes-from-january-to-september-mttd/

Adom Online, "Road crashes claim 2,151 lives in nine months – MTTD" (October 8, 2026): https://www.adomonline.com/road-crashes-claim-2151-lives-in-nine-months-mttd/

AllAfrica, "Ghana: December Road Crashes Claim 276 Lives – NRSA Data Reveals" (January 28, 2026): https://allafrica.com/stories/202601280500.html

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