NRSA boss urges combined road safety measures
Road safety chief says education alone can't fix Ghana's crash crisis.
Abraham Amaliba, Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has stressed that Ghana’s rising road accidents require more than just public education. Speaking on Joy Prime’s Dialogue on Road Safety Crisis, he argued that enforcement, road engineering, and emergency services must work together with education to save lives. “There are three Es in road safety: education, enforcement and engineering, then you have emergency,” he said. Without effective enforcement, he warned, drivers treat safety messages as optional advice rather than rules to follow.
Amaliba noted that weak enforcement undermines years of road safety campaigns, especially among drivers who ignore traffic laws despite awareness efforts. He explained that punishment creates accountability, stating that motorists are more likely to “sit upright” when they know they will be caught breaking rules. This discipline, he said, is essential as more Ghanaians take to the roads.
He highlighted that while education helps the public understand road safety standards, it must be matched with strict enforcement to change behaviour. With rising vehicle numbers and congested streets in cities like Accra and Kumasi, gaps in regulation could have serious consequences for families across the country.
Although Amaliba did not name a specific upcoming event, officials say new traffic initiatives will roll out in district assemblies over the coming months. Until enforcement improves, road safety remains a shared responsibility.
