The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has revealed that between January and April this year, over 4,700 road crashes were recorded, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths and 5,591 injuries.

This was disclosed during a stakeholder engagement with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), following an earlier unsuccessful attempt to hold the meeting on Thursday, May 29.

In a presentation at the engagement, NRSA Principal Manager, Dennis Yirebu highlighted a worrying trend – 13% increase in injuries, a 7% rise in pedestrian knockdowns, and a 6% uptick in collisions compared to previous periods.

“There have been 6% more collisions, and almost 7% more vehicles and pedestrians knocked down. We have also recorded a 13% increase in injuries,” he noted.

A key factor behind the surge in accidents, according to the NRSA, is the inadequate presence of road signs across the country.

To help address this, the Authority has directed all MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region to remove billboards placed on road medians, which it says are a major cause of road accidents due to their obstruction of drivers’ visibility.

Speaking at the engagement on the operationalisation of the NRSA Act and its regulations, NRSA Director-General, Abraham Amaliba clarified that the directive does not amount to a blanket removal of all billboards, but rather a targeted approach focused on road safety.

He further instructed the assemblies to establish and activate Road Safety Committees to enhance coordination and implementation of safety measures.