'Pedestrian may not survive speeding beyond 50' — NRSA boss defends 50km/h speed limit on built-up roads

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) Chief Executive, Abraham Amaliba, has justified the 50-kilometre-per-hour speed limit on built-up roads, explaining that the restriction is aimed at reducing pedestrian deaths and the severity of injuries in road crashes.

He said the limit was informed by research into the impact of vehicle collisions and the chances of pedestrians surviving when struck by vehicles travelling at different speeds.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Amaliba explained that the Traffic Tech enforcement system was intended to promote responsible driving and reduce road fatalities rather than merely punish motorists.

“The experts will tell you that there’s what is called kinetic energy, and that energy is the impact of your accident, whether if you hit somebody that person can survive,” he said.

He warned that the likelihood of a pedestrian surviving a collision decreases significantly when a vehicle is travelling above 50 kilometres per hour.

“So beyond 50, if you hit somebody, he may not survive,” he said.

Mr Amaliba cited research indicating that pedestrians struck by vehicles travelling at 50 kilometres per hour have a 90% chance of survival.

“At 50, we are sure, and the research will tell you that at 50, when you hit somebody, that person has a 90 per cent chance of surviving,” he said.

He maintained that the speed restriction was based on safety considerations, particularly in built-up areas where pedestrians are more likely to cross roads and interact with moving traffic.

The NRSA boss said the broader purpose of the Traffic Tech initiative was to change motorists’ attitudes towards road use, given the number of lives lost through road crashes in Ghana.

“This whole Traffic Tech is to bring about behavioural change amongst drivers,” he said.

He urged motorists to comply with the existing speed limits, stressing that the regulations remained binding until the relevant authorities took steps to amend them.

“We are a country of laws, and the law says 50. So until the law is changed, we still have to live with it,” he added.