The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Abraham Amaliba, has attributed the sharp rise in road accidents recorded in 2025 mainly to reckless driving and overspeeding, rather than poor road infrastructure.
His comments follow provisional data from the NRSA indicating that 2,949 people lost their lives in 14,743 road traffic crashes across Ghana between January and December 2025, marking a significant increase compared to figures recorded in 2024.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, January 25, Mr Amaliba stressed that road safety is a shared responsibility, with drivers playing a critical role in reducing accidents.
According to him, while poor road conditions remain a contributing factor, many crashes could have been prevented if motorists adhered strictly to speed limits and practiced responsible driving.
“Reckless driving and overspeeding. Even though poor roads also contribute, if you engage in safe driving, I have always said road safety is a shared responsibility. Drivers also have a responsibility to ensure that they stay alive,” he said.
He explained that overspeeding, which is largely a driver-related behaviour, accounts for the majority of road crashes nationwide.
“Overspeeding, which is the doing of the driver, is what contributes to more of the accidents on our roads. Other factors may play a role, but if drivers are careful and obey speed limits, even with poor roads, the number of accidents could be significantly reduced,” he added.
Mr Amaliba also attributed the surge in accidents to the limited implementation of the NRSA’s ‘Stay Alive’ campaign in 2025. He noted that funding challenges following the restructuring of the Road Fund affected the Authority’s ability to carry out extensive public education and enforcement activities.
However, he expressed optimism that road safety campaigns would resume at full scale following the establishment of the Road Maintenance Fund and the assurance of additional funding.
The NRSA says it remains committed to intensifying education, enforcement and stakeholder collaboration to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities in the coming years.
