A total of 442 road crashes were recorded in the Volta Region between January and November 2020, with 22 percent being fatal, 46 percent serious and 32 percent minor.

The month of October, recorded the highest with 43 reported crashes while July recorded the least, with 29 reported crashes.

A total of 444 vehicles, made up 200 commercial and 244 private vehicles respectively, and 247 motorcycles and tricycles were involved.

A total of 120 lives, made up of 90 male and 30 female perished in the crashes within the period.

The Region recorded 445 injuries through the crashes during the period, with 162 and 87 caused by commercial and private vehicles, respectively, while 196 was by motorcycles.

There were also a total of 101 pedestrians knocked down, out of which 59 were injured with 42 meeting their untimely death as a result.

Mr Kwasi Tsibu Yirenkyi, Volta Regional Director, National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), who disclosed this to the media at a press briefing in Ho, said though lives were lost through the crashes, the situation was much better compared to 2019.

He said the death toll through road crashes in 2019 stood at 137, compared to 120 in 2020, representing a decrease of 39.8 percent.

Mr Yirenkyi said the Authority achieved the decrease because it undertook several interventions aimed at educating road users on the need to comply with road safety protocols.

The Director said the Authority in the year under review reached out to a total of 65,808 passengers and 1,240 drivers at 294 lorry terminals and sensitised them on safety on the road.

He said his outfit would undertake similar activities this year and have frequent media engagements and sensitisation drives to maintain sanity on the road to save lives.

Mr Yirenkyi called for support from stakeholders to enable the Authority to achieve its mandate including zero-rated road crashes in the Region.

Togbe Hodzi Dunyo IX, Paramount Chief of Atanvie, called on drivers and other road users to do the needful when using the road to reduce the carnage on the roads.