Over 1,000 killed in road crashes between January and April – NRSA

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) reported over 4,700 road crashes from January to April this year. These accidents resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and 5,591 injuries. This information was shared during a meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). The meeting was rescheduled after an earlier attempt on May 29 failed.

During the presentation, NRSA Principal Manager Dennis Yirebu highlighted concerning trends. There has been a 13% increase in injuries. Pedestrian knockdowns rose by 7%, while collisions increased by 6%. Yirebu stated, “There have been 6% more collisions and almost 7% more vehicles and pedestrians knocked down.”

The NRSA identified inadequate road signs as a key factor in the rise of accidents. To address this issue, they directed all MMDAs in Greater Accra to remove billboards from road medians. These billboards obstruct drivers’ visibility and contribute to accidents.

NRSA Director-General Abraham Amaliba clarified that this directive is not a blanket removal of all billboards. It focuses specifically on those that affect road safety. He also instructed assemblies to form Road Safety Committees for better coordination of safety measures.

Assemblies must remove unauthorized billboards by June 2 or face legal action from the NRSA.