Reckless Driving and Overspeeding Fuel Rise in 2025 Road Crashes – NRSA
NRSA blames driver behavior, cites overspeeding as leading cause of rising road fatalities
- Nearly 3,000 deaths recorded in over 14,700 road crashes across Ghana in 2025
- NRSA says reckless driving and overspeeding outweigh poor road conditions as main causes
- Funding challenges limited road safety campaigns, but renewed efforts are expected
The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Abraham Amaliba, has attributed the sharp increase in road accidents recorded in 2025 largely to reckless driving and overspeeding, rather than poor road infrastructure.
According to provisional data from the NRSA, a total of 2,949 people lost their lives in 14,743 road traffic crashes across Ghana between January and December 2025. This figure represents a significant rise compared to the previous year.
Mr. Amaliba stressed that road safety is a shared responsibility, with drivers playing a critical role in preventing accidents.
He explained that although poor road conditions remain a challenge, responsible driving could have significantly reduced the number of crashes recorded.
“Reckless driving and overspeeding are the major causes. Even though poor roads also contribute, if drivers engage in safe driving, we could have reduced the numbers. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and drivers must do their part to stay alive,” he said.
Mr. Amaliba noted that overspeeding, in particular, is a driver-controlled factor that accounts for a large proportion of road crashes, adding that adherence to speed limits could save lives even on deteriorated roads.
He further linked the surge in accidents to the limited implementation of the NRSA’s Stay Alive campaign in 2025. According to him, funding constraints resulting from the restructuring of the Road Fund hampered the authority’s ability to carry out extensive public education and outreach.
However, he expressed optimism that the establishment of the Road Maintenance Fund and the release of promised funds would enable the full resumption of nationwide road safety campaigns.
