A total of 517 persons have died through road accidents in only two months of the year 2021.

The figure, according to the Ghana Police Service is a significant increase in the 393 cases recorded in the same period last year.

Of the 517 deaths recorded in January and February, the Ashanti region recorded the highest with 108 deaths, followed by the Eastern region, 91 deaths, and then the Greater Accra region 89 deaths.

The North East region recorded the lowest number of deaths with 2 fatalities.

The statistics indicated the major accidents hotspots are on Buipe-Tamale road, Bolga-Navrongo road, Akyem Asafo, Accra-Tema Motorway, Kyekyewere and Mankessim.

Records show between January and February 2020, the number of persons who died through road accidents was 393 as against this year’s 517, a significant increase.

In all, 2,560 road accident cases have been reported between the two months period involving 1,581 commercial vehicles, and 974 motorcycles.

2,766 pedestrians have also been knocked down.

Meanwhile, in March a number of road accidents have also been reported.

One occurred in the outskirts of Sawla in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district of the Savannah region involving a sprinter Benz bus with registration number AS 3022-15 which crashed into a nearby bush.

8 people lost their lives as a result with 22 others reported being in critical condition.

Five persons were reported dead in two separate accidents in the Eastern region last Sunday, March 21. The first incident was between two motorbikes on the Ahomam-Begro road; One died on the spot, and the other was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The second accident occurred at Adeiso. Three persons who died were suspected to be students of Adeiso Presbyterian Senior High School.

Several others also sustained varying degrees of injury.