The Accra Metropolitan Assembly, in partnership with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (AMA-BIGRS), has released the first AMA Road Safety Report, analysing data from 2011 to 2015.

The report reveals that 13,059 crashes occurred during the period, showing the need for strong efforts to improve road safety in Accra.

According to the report, based on data from police crash reports, 2,934 people were seriously injured and 909 died from road crashes in the Accra metropolitan area from 2011 to 2015.

Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who launched the report at the Accra City Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, July 10 2018 said the economic and social consequences of road deaths ,and the cost of treatment and rehabilitation for severely injured casualties, should be a major concern for city administrators, national governments, road safety agencies, the police, public health professionals and citizens.

The report he noted is expected to inform the strategic planning of road safety measures in the future adding that the identification of high-risk locations and times of day would help city agencies focus their efforts on engineering remediations and targeted enforcement that would have the most impact.

He disclosed that other key findings of the report indicate that the highest number of crashes during this period was recorded in 2015, with 2,979 crashes, a 40.6% increase from the number recorded in 2014.

“Almost 90% of road fatalities in the observation period were pedestrians, motorcycle riders and bicyclists—the most vulnerable road users. Pedestrians constituted about 70% of all fatalities, motorcyclists (drivers and passengers) about 14%, and bicyclists about 2%.

Males accounted for approximately 80% and 70% of deaths and severe injuries, respectively. The highest proportion of deaths and serious injuries in 2015 was among men 25 to 39 years old: 77 fatalities and 252 serious injuries occurred among males in this age group that year,” he said.

He said about 60% of road crashes on the major national highways in the Accra metropolitan area were recorded on the N1, with the N6 and N4 also showing a significant proportion of crashes and that Saturdays saw the highest number of crashes and serious injuries in 2015, although most fatal crashes took place on Sundays.

He observed that the launch of the AMA Road Safety Report is a component of ongoing road safety surveillance activities and are in line with his goal of using data to inform decision-making.

“The AMA aims to regularly publish additional road safety reports to track progress and inform interventions to save lives. AMA-BIGRS would engage with health facilities within the Accra metropolitan area in the coming months to review and analyse data on victims of road crashes who are sent to health facilities,” he added.

He reiterated the need for drivers to desist from acts that are contrary to the road traffic regulations and urged all road users in the Accra Metropolitan area to prioritize their safety and ensure that no lives are lost in Accra because of said crashes.

Madam Sylviane Ratte, Deputy Director, Global Road Safety Initiative in a statement on behalf of Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety thanked the Mayor of Accra for his commitment towards the initiative.

She pointed out that data is key and critical in decision making and urged policymakers not to leave the report on the shelves to gather dust.

Madam Sarah Nana Yeboah, in a remark on behalf of the Head of Emergency and Accident Unit of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, appealed to governments and all stakeholders to help address the issue of inadequate ambulances in the country to transport accident victims safely to health facilities.

The AMA-BIGRS is a five-year initiative supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies with four components: safer streets and mobility, enforcement, strategic communication, and surveillance.

Some activities and interventions to enhance road safety undertaken the AMA-BIGRS partnership includes road assessments to guide design recommendations for safer roads, the launch and continuous implementation of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, the formation of a task force including the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and City Metropolitan Guards, and road safety communication campaigns to reduce drink driving during festive occasions.