Data compiled by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MMTD) of the Ghana Police Service shows a 3.3% increase in the number of commuters killed in road accidents between January and June 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
According to the data, the number of commuters killed rose from 1,212 in the first half of 2018 to 1,252 during the first six months of 2019.
It revealed that males 18 years and below killed were 126 while males above 18 years killed hit 808, bringing the total to 934.
On the other hand, females below 18 years who lost their lives were 86 while females above 18 years killed in road traffic crashes totalled 232.
This brings the total number of females who were killed to 318.
On the other hand, the number of pedestrians killed recorded a 7.16% decline from 397 in the first quarter of 2018 to 378 in the same period of 2019.
1,503 Pedestrians knocked down
The number of pedestrians knocked down also dropped from 1,619 in the same period last year to 1,503 this year.
The data indicates that the number of persons injured recorded a 15.5% jump, increasing from 6,689 in the first half of last year to 7,043 in the same period in 2019.
According to the records, the total number of vehicles involved in accidents increased from 11,053 to 11,167, representing a 1.03% rise.
364 Killed in motorcycle accidents
Of the 1,585 victims of motorcycle accidents, 364 were killed and the number of motorcycles involved in accidents was 2,284, an increase of 16.6% from the 1,937 motorcycle accidents in the first half of 2018.
4,786 Private vehicles involved in accidents
According to the data, the number of private vehicles involved in road traffic crashes rose from 4,774 to 4,786 in 2019, representing a 0.25% increase.
Private vehicles killed 348 commuters and injured 1,670 victims.
4,133 Commercial vehicles involved in accidents
It came to light that commercial vehicles involved in accidents declined by 4.81% from 4,342 in the first half of last year to 4,133 in the same period this year.
Commercial vehicles killed 540 commuters and injured 3,788 victims in the first six months of this year.
There was 1.47% increase in the number of cases reported from 6,745 in the first half of last year to 6,844 during the same period this year.
Ghana witnessed a reduction in fatality rate from 27 per every 10,000 vehicles in 1999 to about eight per 10,000 vehicles in 2017, with the use of motorcycles threatening gains made in the other road user categories in recent times.
