Contributing Factors to Road Accidents in Ghana

Abstract

Road accidents in Ghana are taking out the lives of innocent Ghanaians. The causes of this calamity are always different from one point of view to another. This research has been executed to provide expedient information on contributing factors to road accidents in Ghana. The research has made use of predecessors' works on the causes of road accidents and their effects. Moreover, the study utilised a mixed/integrated approach to research mainly to produce unbiased information. A good collection of data was done through in-depth interviews and questionnaires. Furthermore, convenience and simple random sampling techniques were used. Genuinely, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyse the gathered information. The study engaged two hundred (200) respondents as a sample size that is 100 road safety stakeholders and 100 road users. Moreover, the major contributing factors to road accidents were identified as follows; poor nature of roads, carelessness of road users, faulty vehicles, stress, unskilled drivers, inadequate road signs, inefficient MTTU personnel, speeding, lack of education, drunkenness, and gross indiscipline. Other findings were; Drivers: rash driving, violation of rules, failure to understand signs, fatigue. Pedestrian: carelessness, illiteracy, crossing at wrong places moving on the carriageway, Jaywalkers. Passengers: Projecting their body outside the vehicle, by talking to drivers. Vehicles: failure of brakes or steering, tyre burst, insufficient headlights, overloading, projecting loads. Road conditions: potholes, damaged road, eroded road merging of rural roads with highways. Weather conditions: Fog, snow, heavy rainfall, wind storms, hail storms. Based on the findings, recommendations were stipulated under the following headings; Education, Provision of road signs, Enforcement of traffic and road safety regulations, Avoidance of attitudes/distractions leading to road accidents, Availability of logistics, Construction of good roads, Maintenance of roads and vehicles and Positive development.