By Eric Appah Marfo, GNA
Accra, Jan. 15, GNA—A total of 2,276 persons died through road crashes between January and December 2023, a Motor Accident Returns Report from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) has indicated.
Some 15,409 persons sustained various degrees of injuries through the crashes during the period.
The distribution of road traffic fatalities by sex showed that 1,624 males and 330 females (all above 18 years) were killed.
Also, 182 males and 140 females (all below 18 years) perished through the crashes.
A total of 14,135 crashes were reported, involving 23,998 vehicles and 2,559 pedestrian knockdowns.
The 2023 crashes represented 5.51 per cent decrease of the 2022 figure of 14,960.
Pedestrian knockdowns for the year 2023 reduced by 4.51 per cent as compared to 2,680 from January to December 2022.
Out of the total number of vehicles involved in the crashes, 8,084 were commercial vehicles; 10,767 were private vehicles and 5,147 of them, motorcycles.
Greater Accra (4,797), Ashanti Region (2,312) and Tema (994) had the top three recorded crashes.
The Northeast (41), Oti (49) and Savanna (66) regions had the lowest number of crashes.
Christmas and New Celebrations alone cost 37 persons deaths from road crashes
The GNA further reports that a total of 37 persons lost their lives in road crashes during the festive period, a National Road Traffic Crashes and Casualties report for the festive period, has said.
The crashes occurred between December 24 to December 26, 2023, and December 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024.
The death represents a decrease of 21.28 per cent as compared to 47 deaths recorded during the same period in 2022.
The report said 29 out of the 37 deaths occurred between December 24 to December 26, 2023, whilst December 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024, had eight deaths.
The distribution of road traffic fatalities by sex indicated that 30 males (81 per cent) and seven females (19 per cent) were killed.
Also, seven persons killed (representing19 per cent) were below 18 years whilst 30 persons (81 per cent) were adults (above 18 years).
Some 236 cases were reported during the period.
They involved 417 vehicles, and 50 pedestrian knock downs.
Comparing the reported cases for the 2023 Christmas festivities to that of 2022 in the same period, there has been 16.26 per cent increase.
The 2022 Christmas festivities recorded 203 reported cases.
Private vehicles-190, constituted the largest proportion of vehicles involved in crashes representing 46 per cent, followed by commercial vehicles-131, with 31 per cent and motorcycles-96, with the least proportion of 23 per cent.
The Greater Accra Region contributed the most with 83 crashes and nine deaths whilst Ashanti Region came second in the number of crashes with 66 cases and nine deaths.
Specifically, in the Greater Accra Region, persons were killed at Kaneshie, Kpeshie, Madina, Odorkor, Weija, Baatsona, Ayimensah and Amanfrom.
