High-risk fatal crash locations in the City of Accra identified in Road Safety Report

The Apenkwa Interchange – Dimples Roundabout section on N1 in Accra has been identified as a high-risk fatal crash location in the City of Accra.

This was contained in the 3rd AMA Road Safety Report which analysed data from 2019 to 2020, launched in Accra on Wednesday.

The 37-page document which was put together with support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) was an update of two previous reports that covered the period between 201I to 2018 and offers a scientific basis for planning and monitoring as well as executing safety interventions whilst providing information on road-user risk behaviours and implemented actions to improve road safety in Accra.

Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah disclosed that other high-risk fatal crash locations in the city mentioned in the report were the Kwashieman, La Paz, North Dzorwulu intersection, Abeka junction as well as Neoplan intersections.

He said according to the report the higher proportion of pedestrian deaths for 2019 and 2020 were caused by cars, SUVs and pick-ups.

“Between 2018 and 2020 the Apenkwa interchange – dimples roundabout recorded 23 deaths, Shiashie, Okponglo also recorded 9 deaths, Apenkwa junction – Apenkwa filling station also recorded 8 deaths… This report outlines that these crashes are caused by inattentiveness, speeding above the posted limit, brake failure, improper turning on highways among others. ,” he said.

The AMA boss said the report points out that there was a 4% increase in the number of reported road traffic crashes and a 32% increase in road traffic deaths in the city of Accra between 2019 and 2020 adding that findings from the report indicated that vulnerable road users accounted for 85 per cent of deaths with over half being pedestrians.

He pointed out that data from these published road safety reports had informed interventions in the area of road engineering, police risk factor enforcement and focus of mass media and mini-campaigns.

“Findings from the report should inform continuous interventions to reduce crash-related deaths and injuries in the city, guiding the activities of stakeholders in road safety to deliver on their mandate. I expect the contributions at the city level to augment national efforts to prioritise road safety,” he added and was hopeful that the strategic actions taken by AMA to reduce road deaths and injuries would encourage stakeholders at the local and national level to continue supporting its efforts.

He also appealed for more resources  to enable the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA)  effectively enforce existing legislation on key behavioural risk factors including speeding, drink-driving, none use of motorcycle helmets, seatbelts and child restraints,  among others.

The Director-General of the NRSA, Ing. Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah commended the AMA for an insightful report stressing it would help shape strategies in improving road safety in the city.

He noted that the high-risk locations mentioned by the AMA boss had been captured as part of the top 10 black spots in Accra adding that recommendations had been forwarded to the appropriate agencies for redress.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Richard Nyarko, in charge of Operations at the Central MTTD, said the AMA in collaboration with the Police had begun an exercise to rid the Central Business District (CBD) of unnecessary traffic congestion.

“We are targeting vehicles that have parked unlawfully at both sides of the road as well as abandoned cars and those that have turned the pedestrian walkways into loading points,” he said.