SUVs, saloon cars, and pickup trucks have emerged as the deadliest vehicles on the streets of Kumasi, according to a new road safety study.
The findings were revealed in a road safety risk factor observational study conducted by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), USA, in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the CSIR-Building and Road Research Institute (CSIR-BRRI), and based on road safety outcome data from the Kumasi BIGRS Office.
The study revealed that more than half of pedestrian fatalities in Kumasi were caused by saloon cars, SUVs, and pickups. Of the 180 pedestrian deaths recorded between 2022 and 2024, 98 were attributed to these vehicle types, representing 51%.
The report further showed that buses and minibuses were responsible for 36 pedestrian deaths, heavy goods vehicles for 32, and two- and three-wheelers for 14.
Another key finding of the study indicated that the majority of these fatal accidents occurred during weekends and at night, raising concerns about driving behaviour and enforcement during those periods.
These insights were shared at a stakeholder conference held in Kumasi, which brought together representatives from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, driving school owners, the transport department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), road engineers, and the media.
Addressing the gathering, Ing. Francis Afukaar, Chief Research Scientist at CSIR–BRRI, called on law enforcement, especially the police, to step up the enforcement of road safety regulations.
Dr. James Kumwenda, Global Program Manager at the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, advocated for a “total system approach” to tackling the road safety crisis, urging stakeholders to collaborate more effectively to reduce road traffic fatalities in Kumasi.
