This indicates a slight increase in last year's figure of 80 deaths, during the same period.

Mr Marin Afram, Director of Research and Monitoring at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), who made this known said there were 175 pedestrian knockdowns and 950 sustaining various degrees of injuries during the first quarter road crashes.

Speaking to journalists in Kumasi after touring some lorry terminals in the Metropolis with officials of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Ghana Police Services, said the road crashes during this year's period involved 1,279 vehicles, but only 806 of entire fatalities, were reported to the police.

The tour was part of efforts to educate road users including drivers, passengers, station masters and road side vendors, on road safety tips and the need to adhere to road safety precautions, to bring down the rising incidence.

Mr Afram said about 60 per cent of road accidents were caused by speeding, due to this, the Commission has designed numerous education campaign programmes to help minimize road crashes and resultant fatalities.

 He said the increasing spate of road accidents in the Ashanti Region, which is a transit point to other parts of the country, was worrying adding "my outfit will do everything to reduce the trend"