Dear Honourable Minister,
I am writing to you to find some drastic means to curb the frequents accidents on our highway. Just this Wednesday my nephew, with his African American bride and myself witness a gory accident just about five hundred meters away from the Adansihene’s palace in Fomena, about six bodies were lying on the highway street.
I was so devastated and could not talk so my American inlaw tapped me from behind and asked ‘Are you OK uncle T’, I wasn’t but I lied to her that I was fine. I kept asking myself a lot of questions, why should my American inlaw have to witness this on her second visit, what image will she give to her family back in the States.
I was very sad. Come to find out, the accident was caused by a benz sprinter with registration number GS 6383-20. The sprinter driver recklessly, impatiently and aggressively overtook the one infront of him and banged into a VIP bus with registration number GW 8455-23, how could we forgive such a driver.
We are in a dynamic world but it seems Ghana is not getting along, hardly do you hear of accidents occurring in other parts of the world but not in Ghana. Today we don’t fell safe when we tavelling.
I was thinking of calling to ban overtaking on our highways but I realised also that it will have a potential drawbacks, eg, we will experience slow down traffic, slower movement of goods will affect the economy, drivers will be frustrated.
Overtaking itself is not inherently dangerous, but accidents often occur due to poor judgment, yes misjudging the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles, inadequate visibility, speeding, impatience and aggressive driving, risky manueuvers due to impatience, mechanical faults, but something needs to be done.
I believe GPRTU and DVLA has failed us, Why? because most of the drivers they allow to drive on our roads don’t have any higher education for them to have good judgements to avoid accidents on the highway.
Ghana must implement more targeted measures to improve safety during overtaking. Talking about safety, I worked with Ashanti Goldfields Company for sixteen years and we were given safety courses, workshops and every AGC worker is applying safety to our daily lives and it has helping us now.
Key Causes Observed:
– Reckless or impatient overtaking, especially on single-lane stretches
– Lack of clear road signs and markings
– Poor road conditions or inadequate lighting at night
– Mechanical faults.
Proposed Solutions:
I believe strict enforcement of traffic laws are in place, but there must be more targeted effective measures in place, eg, there must be clearly marked No-Overtaking Zone, expanding and strictly enforce it.
Construct more designated overtaking lanes on suitable stretches.
Most importantly, Public education and awareness campaigns: Conduct nationwide campaigns to educate drivers on the dangers of unsafe overtaking, proper overtaking techniques, and the importance of adhering to traffic regulations.
Stricter Driver Licensing and training: Ensure rigorous driver training and testing that emphasizes safe overtaking practice and safety workshops.
Promote Road Safety Education: Regular public education campaigns-through media, schools, and community outreach-can raise awareness about safe driving practices, the dangers of speeding, and the importance of respecting traffic laws.
Regular Road Safety Audits: Conducting audits to identify and address hazardous spots on highways can pre-emptively reduce accident risks.
If we don’t reduce road accidents, it will really cost the government eg, accidents, particularly road traffic accidents (RTAs), impose significant costs on the Ghanaian government and economy.
Road traffic accidents in Ghana cost the country about 1.6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, which translates to roughly US$165 million per year. Over six years, this amounts to nearly 10% of Ghana’s GDP, approximately US$990 million, spent on addressing road traffic injuries and related issues.
The cost of road accidents significantly impacts Ghana’s economy in multiple ways:
Road traffic accidents consume about 1.6% of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, equating to over US$128 million to US$230 million spent each year on addressing injuries, fatalities, and related consequences. This represents a substantial diversion of national resources that could otherwise support development projects.
The economic burden includes direct costs such as medical treatment, emergency response, rehabilitation, and indirect costs such as lost productivity due to death or disability of primarily young and economically active individuals, as well as the psychological distress on families and communities.
Households affected by severe injuries spend on average around US$1,687 in direct and indirect costs, which strains family finances and increases demand on public health services.
Road accidents disrupt commercial activities and economic productivity. For example, in Techiman Township, accidents have been shown to bring many businesses to a halt, negatively affecting local economies and trade.
The high incidence of accidents, especially involving commercial vehicles, leads to increased congestion, vehicle emissions, and inefficiencies that further reduce economic output and increase government expenditure on road safety and infrastructure maintenance.
The loss of young productive lives-over 60% of fatalities involve people under 35 years-exacerbates the economic impact by reducing the labor force and increasing dependency ratios.
In summary, road accidents in Ghana impose a heavy economic toll by draining public and private resources, reducing productivity, and disrupting commercial activities, thereby hindering the country’s socio-economic development. Strengthening road safety enforcement and improving emergency response are critical to mitigating these economic losses.
Road accidents have a profound impact on Ghana’s healthcare system in several critical ways:
They place a heavy burden on healthcare resources by causing a high volume of emergency cases. For example, at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, road traffic accidents (RTAs) account for 62% of deaths in the casualty unit of the emergency department, highlighting the strain on emergency services.
The injuries sustained from RTAs often require extensive medical care, including treatment of head injuries, abdomino-pelvic trauma, spine injuries, and extremity injuries. Many victims suffer disabilities that impair their ability to perform daily activities, necessitating long-term rehabilitation and follow-up care.
The healthcare system faces significant economic costs due to RTAs. Households spend an average of about US$1,687 on direct and indirect costs related to severe injuries, and the average cost of care per victim in formal health facilities is around US$150 to US$167, which cumulatively drains public health resources.
RTAs divert resources from other public health priorities because the treatment and rehabilitation of accident victims require substantial medical supplies, personnel time, and hospital capacity. This diversion limits the ability of the healthcare system to address other pressing health issues.
The psychological impact on victims and their families adds another layer of healthcare demand, including mental health services, which are often under-resourced in Ghana.
Despite the growing burden, Ghana’s health policies and road safety advocacy have historically underemphasized the role of the healthcare system in prevention and post-accident care. The Ghana Health Service has made limited contributions to road safety education and advocacy, and pre-hospital care remains inadequate, although recent efforts to provide ambulances are underway.
Road accidents significantly strain Ghana’s healthcare system by increasing demand for emergency and long-term care, imposing substantial economic costs, and diverting resources from other health priorities. Improved emergency response, trauma care infrastructure, and integrated health sector involvement in road safety policies are essential to mitigate these impacts.
In summary, road accidents in Ghana represent a major economic and social cost to the government, consuming a significant portion of national resources annually. This underscores the need for stronger road safety policies and enforcement to mitigate these losses.
In conclusion, while some solutions require significant investment, there are many low-cost, high-impact measures that can be implemented quickly to save lives and reduce the economic burden of accidents. I urge the Ministry to prioritize these interventions and foster collaboration among stakeholders to make our highways safer for all.
Thank you for your attention and commitment to road safety.
Respectfully yours,
Teddy Acquah
