The Upper East Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has expressed concern over the increasing number of road traffic accidents being recorded across the region, describing the situation as worrying and largely linked to human attitudes and indiscipline on the roads.
The Upper East Regional Public Relations Officer of the National Road Safety Authority, Ing. John Quarshie, raised the concern during an exclusive interview on the BlueWaves Breakfast Show on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Speaking on the growing road safety challenges in the region, Mr. Quarshie lamented the continuous rise in road crashes over the years despite ongoing public education and enforcement efforts by stakeholders.
Although he did not provide specific statistics during the interview, he indicated that the accident situation in the Upper East Region remains alarming and requires urgent collective action from road users, transport operators, enforcement agencies, and the general public.
According to him, many of the accidents recorded in the region are mainly caused by negative attitudes toward road safety regulations, including reckless driving, speeding, wrongful overtaking, and disregard for traffic rules.
“The accident situation in the Upper East Region appears to be more attitudinal,” he stated.
He stressed the need for strict adherence to road traffic regulations and intensified public education to help reduce preventable accidents on the roads.
Mr. Quarshie also revealed that the National Road Safety Authority in the Upper East Region is facing serious staff shortages, a situation he said continues to affect the authority’s operations and monitoring activities across the region.
“We are only eight staff in the whole Upper East Region,” he disclosed.
He explained that with the vast nature of the region and the increasing transportation activities, the limited number of personnel makes it difficult for the authority to effectively carry out regular road safety campaigns, monitoring exercises, and data collection.
The Regional PRO further admitted that while official data available to the authority may appear relatively encouraging, many accident cases are often not reported to the National Road Safety Authority, creating gaps in accurate documentation and analysis.
According to him, underreporting of accident cases remains one of the major challenges affecting road safety management in the region.
He explained that the lack of comprehensive accident reporting makes it difficult for the authority to properly assess the full scale of the situation and implement targeted interventions where they are most needed.
Mr. Quarshie further disclosed that the Bolgatanga Municipality currently records the highest number of road traffic accidents in the Upper East Region.
He attributed the situation partly to increased vehicular and commercial activities within the municipality as well as non-compliance with road safety regulations by some road users.
The National Road Safety Authority therefore called on drivers, motor riders, pedestrians, and transport operators to exercise caution and strictly observe road safety measures to help reduce fatalities and injuries on the roads.
He also appealed to stakeholders, including local authorities, transport unions, schools, and the media, to support ongoing road safety education campaigns aimed at promoting responsible road use among the public.
The interview forms part of efforts by the National Road Safety Authority to increase public awareness on road safety and encourage behavioral change among road users across the region.
Source: BlueWaves Radio 93.7Fm| Maurice Duncan | Bolgatanga
