Road crashes: 2,589 perish in 2020

• Posted on February 19, 2021February 19, 2021
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

-Motorcycles killed 1,056; commercial vehicles killed 964, and private vehicles killed 569
    

The number of commuters killed in road traffic crashes in 2020 recorded a significant increase of 13.35% over the figure for 2019.
A total of 2,589 people were killed in road traffic crashes last year compared to the 2,284 killed in 2019.

2,117 Males killed
Data compiled by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service indicates that 2,117 males, comprising 1,921 above 18 years and 196 below 18 years, were killed in road crashes in 2020.

472 Females killed
On the other hand, 472 females, made up of 342 above 18 years and 130 below 18 years, also lost their lives during the period.

2,983 Pedestrian knockdowns
The data showed a decrease in pedestrian knockdowns from 2,983 in 2019 to 2,728 last year.

8.65% decrease in pedestrians killed
Also, the number of pedestrians killed dropped from 740 in 2019 to 720 last year, representing an 8.65% reduction.

Motorcycles killed 1,056, injured 4,684
Road traffic crashes involving motorcycles killed 1,056 and injured 4,684 commuters last year.

Motorcycle crashes record 22.42% increase
Also, motorcycle crashes recorded a 21.75% increase last year, spiking to 5,684, compared to the 4,643 in 2019.

13,787 Victims injured
According to the data, the number of commuters injured last year went up by 13.45%, recording 15,517, compared to the 13,677 recorded in 2019.

Private vehicles killed 569, injured 3,240
The MTTD data reveals that private vehicles killed 569 and injured 3,240 during the period.

10,112 Private vehicles involved in crashes
The number of crashes involving private vehicles recorded a 4.71% rise from 9,657 in 2019 to 10,112 last year.

Commercial vehicles killed 964, injured 7,593
The statistics shows that crashes involving commercial vehicles killed 964 and injured 7,593 last year.

9,356 Commercial vehicles involved in crashes
The number of commercial vehicles involved in accidents increased by 10.21% from 8,489 in 2019 to 9,356 last year.
Motorcycles top deaths
The 1,056 commuters killed by motorcycles are higher than the 964 killed by commercial vehicles, and it is also almost double the 569 killed by private vehicles in road traffic crashes.

Motorcycle deaths represent 40.7%
In percentage terms, motorcycles killed 40.7%; commercial vehicles killed 37.2%; and private vehicles, 21.9%.

Commercial vehicles top injuries
When it comes to the number of injured commuters, commercial vehicles lead with 7,593, followed by motorcycles with 4,684, and private vehicles with 3,240.

Commercial vehicles accounts for 48.9% of injuries
In percentage terms, commercial vehicles are responsible for 48.9% of injuries, followed by 30.1% for motorcycles and 20.8% for private vehicles.

Private vehicles top vehicles involved in crashes
With regard to the number of vehicles involved in crashes, private vehicles recorded 10,112, representing 40.2%, followed by commercial vehicles with 9,356 (37.1%), and motorcycles with 5,684, representing 22.5%.

Alarming fatality rates of motorcycles
Though private vehicles have higher occupancy than motorcycles and the number of private vehicles involved in accidents is far higher, it is surprising to know that motorcycles have killed and injured more people than private vehicles.

Motorcycles involved in crashes lower than commercial and private vehicles
This is interesting because fewer motorcycles(5,684) were involved in road crashes last year compared to the 10,112 private vehicles and 9,356 commercial vehicles.

Private vehicles carried less passengers that motorcycles
The data also shockingly shows that the 10,112 private vehicles involved in crashes carried less passengers (3,809) compared to the 5,684 motorcycles involved in accidents carrying 5,740 passengers.
It is important to note that the occupancy rate of private vehicles is a minimum of four, but the maximum occupancy rate for motorcycles is two.

Commercial vehicles – 8,557 passengers
Commercial vehicles involved in road crashes carried 8,557 passengers, of which 964 died while 7,593 sustained varying degrees of injury.

Motorcycles – 5,740 passengers
On the other hand, motorcycles involved in accidents transported 5,740 passengers, of which 1,056 died and 4,684 sustained injuries.

Private vehicles-3,809 passengers
Private vehicles involved in road crashes carried 3,809 passengers, of which 569 died and the remaining 3,240 sustained varying degrees of injury.

14,886 Reported crashes
The total number of crashes reported also rose by 7.27% from 13,877 in 2019 to 14,886 last year.

25,152 Vehicles involved in crashes
The total number of vehicles involved in crashes rose by 10.37% from 22,789 in 2019 to 25,152 last year.

By Elvis DARKO, Accra