The Western Region has recorded a marginal increase in road traffic crashes in the first of 2023 as against same period last year.

Between January and June this year, the Region recorded a total of 374 road traffic crashes as compared to 354 during the same period in 2022, representing a variant increase of 20.

Out of the figure recorded this year, 51 were fatal, 148 were serious, and the minor cases were 175, while in 2022 a total of 43 were fatal, 150 serious and 161 minor cases were recorded.

In all, 442 casualties comprising 62 deaths and 380 injuries were recorded as against 54 deaths and 317 injuries within same period in 2022.

These were contained in a road traffic performance report, singed by Nana Akua Ansaah, Western Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), and copied to the Ghana News Agency, in Takoradi.

According to the report, in the first half of this year, seven males below the age of 18 and 48 males above the age 18 totaling 55 were killed, as against four males below the age of 18 and 41 above age 18 totaling 45 were killed in 2022.

For females, four persons below the age of 18 and three above the age 18 totaling seven died this year, against five below age 18 and three who were above 18 years of age summing up to eight were also killed in 2022.

Per the report, 246 commercial and 229 private vehicles as well as 203 motorcycles were involved in road traffic crashes in the first half of this year, as compared to 224 commercial and 226 privates as well as 175 motorcycles within the same period last year.

The report revealed that 76 persons were knocked down, out of which 60 got injured and 16 died, while in 2022, 79 persons were knocked down, where 65 got injured and 14 lost their lives in the process.

Nana Akua Ansaah, therefore, called on the media and other stakeholders to continue to support the efforts of the NRSA by promoting best road safety practices to help protect the citizenry from road traffic related carnages in the Region and the country in general.