CUTS International Urges Local Assemblies to Regulate Billboards Amid Rising Road Crash Deaths

CUTS International is calling on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to regulate the placement of billboards to help curb road traffic accidents caused by visual obstructions and driver distractions.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, July 23, at the Ghana International Press Centre, West Africa Regional Director of CUTS International, Appiah Kusi Adomako, described the surge in road crashes as a “crisis” that demands urgent government intervention.

“Traveling on our roads today requires fasting and prayer as well as faith because of the increasing dangers our road traffic journey have become,” Adomako said. 

According to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana recorded 7,289 road crashes involving 12,354 vehicles in the first half of 2025 alone. These incidents resulted in 1,504 deaths and over 8,300 injuries, marking a 22% rise in fatalities and a 10% increase in injuries compared to the same period in 2024.

“These are not just numbers,” Adomako said, “Each statistic represents a person, a family, a future abruptly ended. They are breadwinners, children, mothers, teachers, traders, and drivers who left home and never returned. They are our loved ones, colleagues, and neighbours.”

CUTS International has therefore proposed 14 key measures to address the alarming trend. It’s suggesting amending road traffic regulations, reforming blood alcohol and safety laws in addition to the 10th measure specifically urging MMDAs to regulate billboard placement to prevent obstruction of driver visibility.

“Local authorities must ensure that billboards and advertisements do not obstruct driver visibility or distract road users,” the organization said, “Dangerous or illegal signage must be taken down immediately with the support of the police.”

Adomako shared a personal account to illustrate the real-world impact of poor billboard placement.

“There’s a particular junction near my home. If I want to turn left, I have to pull forward just to see oncoming traffic. Why? Because the District Assembly has permitted over 20 billboards at that junction,” he said.

According to William Narh, with CITI Newsroom, the NRSA had already given 29-MMDAs a 21-day ultimatum, in removing unauthorized billboards along roadways. If they did not comply, the NRSA threatened to sue each individual assembly.

The organization did find progress. Elizabeth Kabukie Ocansey, with CITI Newsroom, reported assemblies began taking down these signs in late June.

However, CUTS International continues to urge the Ghanaian government to declare road traffic crashes a national public health emergency equalizing it with emergencies of pandemics and natural disasters. 

According to NRSA data, Ghana loses an average of eight lives per day due to road crashes.

Looking at his watch during the press event, NRSA Programme Directorate Dennis Yeribu said.

 “It’s 11:00 a.m. We may have already lost two to three lives today.”