Racing with Tragedy: Recklessness and Reform on the Accra–Kumasi Highway

 

When urgency outpaces judgment, and single-lane roads become arenas for reckless maneuvers, the cost is measured in lives lost and families shattered.

On Ghana’s Accra–Kumasi highway, time doesn’t simply pass—drivers chase it with a dangerous blend of speed and poor decisions. Each morning, this vital stretch transforms into a chaotic contest of guesswork and high-stakes overtaking, where the loudest horn and the boldest risk-taker often take the lead. Between Suhum and Nkawkaw, a Sprinter bus becomes a physics lesson in momentum and braking distance, a fuel tanker a looming hazard, and the hard shoulder a makeshift parking lot with fatal consequences.

The statistics are damning. In 2024, Ghana recorded 13,489 road crashes, resulting in 2,494 deaths and over 15,600 injuries. In just the first half of 2025, 1,504 people were killed in road crashes—an average of eight deaths per day. If these numbers reflected a disease outbreak, a national emergency would be declared. Instead, we hold press conferences and commission banners.

This crisis has known locations. Take Asuboi, a notorious hotspot for fatal crashes. On August 16, 2025, at least five lives were lost in another tragic incident on the corridor. A tyre burst, a driver lost control, and yet again, families received phone calls that broke them. Earlier, on April 22, 2025, near Amanase around 5:00 a.m., a Sprinter collided with a fuel tanker—eleven people died before sunrise. We refer to these incidents as “accidents,” as if they were unavoidable acts of fate.

But the science says otherwise. A 16-year analysis of police reports has identified intensifying crash hotspots along Ghana’s major highways, including the Accra–Kumasi corridor. The findings are clear: single-carriage roads carrying high volumes of traffic are breeding grounds for head-on collisions, especially where reckless overtaking occurs. The most effective remedy—a dual carriageway—is persistently treated as a luxury rather than a lifesaving necessity.

Let’s be frank about the causes. Speeding is a national epidemic—responsible for roughly 39% of fatal crashes, according to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA). Combine that with wrongful overtaking, disregard for road signs, and driver fatigue, and we have a recipe for tragedy. Many long-distance drivers operate like endurance athletes without support; caffeine becomes their co-pilot, and sleep deprivation takes the wheel at Apedwa.

Then there’s the misuse of road shoulders, particularly around the Nkawkaw bypass, where heavy trucks routinely obstruct views and create hazards. What we call improvisation, the pathologist calls evidence. The NRSA has been forced to take enforcement actions to combat this dangerous practice.

“On this highway, urgency is cheap; arrival is premium.”
“One lane, two destinies, zero mercy—that’s the math of head-ons.”
“Speeding is a belief system; physics is not impressed.”

A Satirical Press Conference—With a Serious Message:

• The Overtaker-General (Ministry of Split-Second Decisions): “We overtook three vehicles on a bend to save four minutes. Unfortunately, we also saved two lives—for later.”
• Captain Siesta (long-haul veteran): “Eight hours at the wheel, ten minutes with an energy drink. That’s balance.”
• Minister for Single Lanes & Long Prayers: “Dualization is on course. Which course? The long one.”

Real Solutions—No Slogans Required:

Amid the satire are practical, immediate steps we can take to save lives:

• Dualize the Accra–Kumasi highway, prioritizing high-risk segments. Dual carriageways drastically reduce head-on collisions.
• Enforce speed limits using technology—speed cameras and a points-based license system are more effective than public campaigns.
• Combat driver fatigue by mandating two drivers for long-distance commercial vehicles, with enforced rest periods.
• Eliminate shoulder parking by constructing designated lay-bys with lighting, and imposing strict penalties for non-compliance.
• Revamp public education, focusing on impactful messaging that highlights real consequences rather than slogans.

An Akan proverb says, “The one who asks for the road does not get lost.” We know the way forward. The road to safer travel isn’t a mystery: Dualize. Enforce. Rest. Clear. Educate.

If we continue to delay, the highway will remain the Republic of Uncommon Sense’s most tragic editorial—written daily in blood, with names attached.

Source: theghanareport