Africa is the globe’s least motorised area, accounting for simply 2% of the world’s automobiles. But it information the best charge of street deaths. The World Well being Group (WHO) pegs the speed in Africa at 26.6 deaths per 100,000 folks. South East Asia’s, the second highest charge on the earth, hovers round 20.7 deaths per 100,000 folks.
Ghana is among the many African nations grappling with street visitors crashes. Deadly street harm is among the prime 10 causes of dying in Ghana, in line with the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Researchers at Ghana’s Constructing and Street Analysis Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Analysis estimate that the west African nation recorded 302,712 crashes involving 477,609 automobiles between 1991 and 2020. In 2016, the World Financial institution reported that Ghana misplaced 8.2% of its GDP to street visitors crashes.
Thus, street visitors crashes stay a significant public well being and growth problem in Ghana. However some developments within the first 5 months of 2022 provide a glimmer of hope. We’re a workforce of street security advocates, working within the Ghanaian and broader African areas as researchers and policymakers. Our evaluation of knowledge from the Nationwide Street Security Authority, suggests that there have been fewer crashes, accidents and deaths within the first 5 months of 2022 in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months.
Up to now few months, Ghana’s street security area has seen sustained collaborations between public establishments and a essential mass of personal residents and establishments aimed toward making the roads safer. There additionally has been elevated police surveillance, particularly throughout festive durations that are a notably harmful time on the roads.
It’s not clear but how a lot these initiatives contributed to safer roads. Regardless of the case, the Ghanaian street security group should not relaxation on its laurels. At the least within the final 4 years, concurrent declines in crashes, accidents and deaths are typically adopted by a spike within the 12 months that follows.
Unpacking the information
The next tables spotlight a number of the key figures from the primary 5 months of 2022.
In comparison with 2021, there was a 4.67% discount in crash incidents throughout the first 5 months of 2022 (January to Might). Different essential security indicators improved too. Accidents had been down by 4.98%; 347 fewer folks acquired damage on the roads between January and Might 2022 in comparison with the identical interval in 2021.
Deaths declined by 9%, from 1,250 folks in January to Might 2021 to 1,140 throughout the identical interval in 2022.
All of the essential security indicators improved. This echoes figures from 2020, when crashes went down by 5.31%, accidents by 2.91% and deaths 14.58%.
Cycles and personal automobiles
Desk 2 exhibits that just about 12% fewer business automobiles had been concerned in crashes within the first 5 months of 2022 in comparison with the identical interval in 2021.
The share of discount is even larger for bicycles and bikes (down by 13.1%). That is notably excellent news as a result of, because the desk exhibits, the variety of cycles concerned in crashes has risen constantly since 2018. Motorbikes are particularly harmful: the Nationwide Street Security Authority estimates that an individual is ten occasions extra possible to die in a bike crash than in a automotive crash.
Non-public automobiles stay a priority. Extra personal automobiles had been concerned in crashes within the first 5 months of 2022 (4,873) than the identical interval in 2021 (4,864).
Researchers have begun documenting how the poor state of public transport in Ghana is driving a shift in direction of private automobiles, with automotive possession growing in recent times.
The rise of ride-hailing corporations within the nation has additionally contributed to the variety of personal automobiles getting used for business passenger providers. Crash knowledge reporting in Ghana is just not segregated to indicate what number of personal automobiles are actually personal taxis, so it’s troublesome to evaluate the position ride-hailing providers might play in contributing to excessive crash numbers.
Sustaining the features
The protection enhancements skilled on Ghana’s roads throughout the first 5 months of 2022 are a welcome growth. However authorities should heed the 2020 figures (contained in desk 1): these present that, a minimum of up to now 4 years, such enhancements are typically adopted by a spike within the 12 months that follows. It’s not but identified why this sample happens.
Ghana’s Nationwide Street Security Authority appears dedicated to sustaining the features made in early 2022. Officers say they’ve intensified the “Keep Alive” behavioural change marketing campaign launched in 2021. The marketing campaign targets most people as advocates for good street person behaviour by calling out unsafe practices.
The company can be utilizing analysis, monitoring and analysis to replace Ghana’s nationwide street security technique and associated motion plans. Its hope is that data-led interventions could make the nation’s roads safer. The Authority has additionally elevated the presence of street security inspectors at main transport terminals. The inspectors make sure that business automobiles meet sure security requirements earlier than setting off. The Authority has began work on a brand new coverage for the elimination of damaged down and wrongly parked automobiles from the roads.
All of those interventions are essential. Cautious monitoring and analysis is required, although, to translate them into widespread and sustainable security advantages for these utilizing Ghana’s roads. Extra focused interventions can be required, together with prioritising investments in public transport methods to take care of the problems with personal automobiles.
Kwame Koduah Atuahene, the Director, Regulatory, Inspectorate & Compliance on the Nationwide Street Security Authority, contributed to this text.
