Ghana's Persistent Road Safety Challenge: Can Behavioural Change Save Lives?

Key Takeaways

• Footbridge usage remains a persistent road safety challenge in Ghana, with thousands of pedestrians ignoring them to cross busy highways.
• Experts attribute the problem to human behaviour, citing inconvenience, time constraints, fatigue, and habit as reasons for avoiding footbridges.
• The Save Walk Ghana campaign, launched by students, aims to change public attitudes towards road safety through education, advocacy, and community engagement.
• Behavioural change requires consistent enforcement of road safety regulations, improved infrastructure, and partnerships among stakeholders.

Every day in Accra, thousands of pedestrians make a choice that could determine whether they return home safely or become another statistic in a road accident. While footbridges have been constructed at strategic locations across the capital to provide safe passage over busy highways, many people continue to ignore them, opting instead to dash across speeding traffic.

The seemingly ordinary decision has become one of Ghana's persistent road safety challenges, raising questions about public attitudes, law enforcement, and the effectiveness of communication campaigns aimed at changing behaviour.

Background & Context

Road traffic crashes remain one of the leading causes of injury and death worldwide, and pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users. In Ghana, accidents involving pedestrians continue to account for a significant proportion of road fatalities, despite investments in road safety infrastructure.

Across major highways such as the George Walker Bush Highway, the Accra-Tema Motorway, and other busy roads, footbridges stand as visible reminders of government efforts to improve pedestrian safety. Yet, at many of these locations, it is common to witness people climbing over barriers or weaving through moving vehicles rather than taking a few extra steps to use the bridges built specifically to protect them.

Key Findings

Experts say the problem goes beyond infrastructure. It is fundamentally about human behaviour. Many pedestrians cite the inconvenience of climbing stairs, time constraints, fatigue, or simply habit as reasons for avoiding footbridges. Others complain that some bridges are inaccessible to elderly persons, pregnant women, and people living with disabilities.

Weak enforcement of road safety regulations has also contributed to the widespread disregard for designated crossing facilities. These behaviours come at a heavy cost. Every pedestrian knocked down represents not only a personal tragedy but also emotional trauma for families, increased pressure on hospitals, and avoidable economic losses to society.

Broader Implications

Recognising that changing behaviour requires more than constructing infrastructure, development communication practitioners are increasingly advocating social and behavioural change communication approaches that place people at the centre of the solution.

The Save Walk Ghana campaign, launched by students, aims to transform public attitudes by making road safety a shared responsibility rather than merely a legal obligation. The campaign combines advocacy with public institutions, educational outreach, interpersonal communication, and social mobilisation to reinforce positive road safety practices.

Looking Ahead

The campaign's success depends on consistent enforcement of road safety regulations, improved infrastructure, and partnerships among stakeholders. Regular enforcement sends a clear signal that road safety rules are meant to protect lives rather than inconvenience road users.

However, enforcement should be complemented by improvements in infrastructure. Footbridges should be designed and maintained to accommodate elderly users, persons with disabilities, and parents carrying children. Better lighting, regular maintenance, and enhanced accessibility would remove some of the barriers that discourage their use. Ultimately, every footbridge represents more than concrete and steel. It symbolises an opportunity to save lives.