By Alisa Nyarko (UniMAC-IJ, nyarkoalisa@gmail.com)
The Accra-Kumasi highway is one of the busiest and most plied roads by commuters in Ghana. The road connects the capital city, Accra to Kumasi, the second largest. Over thousands of vehicles use this highway, carrying people, commodities and goods across the country. Unfortunately, the highway records high number of accidents which identify it as one of the power houses of deadly road accidents due to over-speeding and reckless overtaking.
Over-speeding habit
Over-speeding is a pressing issue on the Accra-Kumasi highway. Most of the drivers go faster beyond the speed limit, especially on the long straight part of the road. This is very deadly because when vehicles are moving at a top speed, it is very difficult to stop immediately. According to National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), over speeding is the major cause of road accidents in Ghana. They also emphasized that over speeding contributes to more than 60% of accidents on the Accra-Kumasi highway.
In 2024, the issue of high number of accidents caused by over speeding is still thriving and has not been solved, which is very alarming and dangerous. Usually, commercial drivers, such as bus and truck drivers often over speed to save time and make more extra trips in a day. This place each and every one on the road at risk. High speed accidents are mostly brutal because the weight of impact huge and unstoppable. Many people suffer severe injuries over these crashes.
Reckless overtaking
Reckless overtaking is also another major worry cause of accidents on the highway. The road is primarily a two-lane highway with one lane in each direction. This indicates that when a driver wants to overtake a slower moving vehicle, they must cross into the oncoming traffic lane. If a driver miscalculates the speed or distance of the oncoming vehicle, it may result in devastating head on crash, which is often fatal.
Most drivers tend to become impatient when stuck behind slow-moving vehicles therefore take dangerous overtaking risks. The reckless behaviour leads to many accidents. The NRSA highlighted that reckless overtaking is a significant cause of deadly crashes on the highway.
Human cost
The devastating consequences of over-speeding and reckless overtaking on human is very high. Many families lose loved ones as a result of these accidents, and the communities also suffer greatly. According to NRSA, numerous fatalities were recorded last year on the Accra-Kumasi highway due to dangerous and unsafe driving habits. In addition to the loss of life, there are also economic cost such as medical bills and funeral expenses which put huge burden on families of victims.
Improve safety
The government and other organization should collaborate to make Accra-Kumasi highway a safer place for drivers. Since some commuters especially commercial drivers refuse to adhere to the rules even when they know the risks, there is the need for the police to also increase patrols on the road and use cameras in order to caution and arrest over speeding drivers. The NRSA on the other hand must also frequent the running of campaigns to educate drivers about the dangers of over speeding and reckless overtaking. There is also a need for better infrastructure which include more lanes, clearer road signs to help reduce road accidents.
A call for change
It is the onus of every individual who uses the highway to make it safer. Drivers also have to respect speed limits and most importantly be patient when driving. They should understand that it is better to arrive at their destination late than to risk their lives and the lives of others.
