Part VIII explored some of the latest braking systems in articulator trucks.
This closing submission will offer some advice on safe and defensive driving, the effect of diesel spillage on our roads, a call for the introduction of functioning speed cameras and the roll out of an air ambulance service.
In respect of safe driving tips, drivers are advised whilst driving to stay alert, reduce distractions, anticipate the actions of other drivers, obey speed limits, and maintain a safe following distance.
Undertaking a safe overtaking requires a combination of careful planning, clear visibility, and quick execution to minimize the time spent in a high-risk position.
Overtaking should NEVER be attempted when the driver’s view ahead is blocked, or in areas of high traffic conflict, or where the road markings prohibit it. Key places to avoid overtaking include:
(a) Bends and curves; you cannot see oncoming traffic.
(b) Brow of a hill or crest; blind spots prevent seeing cars coming from the opposite direction.
(c) Bridges and tunnels; usually narrow with limited room to maneuver.
(d) Narrow roads; not enough space to pass safely.
(e) Intersections and junctions; vehicles may be turning, and visibility is likely to be low.
(f) Pedestrian/zebra crossings; never overtake when approaching, at, or on a pedestrian crossing or school crossing.
(g) Level/Rail Crossings; unsafe to overtake when crossing railway tracks.
(h) Corners; high risk of collision with turning cars.
Generally, safe driving is basic common sense. For instance, driving on wet roads requires increased caution, reduced speed to maintain traction and to avoid aquaplaning or hydroplaning (this is a dangerous driving hazard that occurs when a layer of water builds up between the vehicle’s tyres and the road surface. This causes the tyres to lose direct contact with the road, leading to a sudden loss of traction, steering, and braking control).
Wet pavement reduces tyre grip, while oil and grease on the road can create slick surfaces during the first few minutes of rainfall.
Therefore, the government should put in place plans to replace road surfaces if a diesel spill causes structural damage, which can happen in as little as 90 minutes. Diesel acts as a solvent that breaks down the bitumen, i.e., the binder in asphalt, turning it into a soft, mushy, and unsafe surface that cannot be repaired by cleaning alone.
The cost can be recovered through the insurance of the operator or driver responsible for the spillage. Drivers can also be prosecuted for allowing substances to harm the highway under the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), with additional liability for environmental damage under the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124).
Unregulated speed is another cause of road traffic accidents in Ghana. Speed limits in Ghana are not monitored and enforced strictly. There are no static speed cameras, and the few mobile speed cameras that are sometimes deployed by the Ghana Police Service appear to look older than the Head of Medusa.
In the UK, speed limits are strictly enforced. There are both static and mobile speed cameras all over the country. Some of the guidelines on the operation of the speed cameras in the UK state that cameras should be painted yellow and not obscured by trees or bushes and must be visible to drivers from 60 metres in 40mph or less zones, and 100 metres in other zones.
If speed limits are not enforced on the Kasoa – Winneba – Mankessim dual carriageway following its completion, then we should brace up for more crashes on that road.
The government should also consider introducing an air ambulance service in Ghana, since they are critical in medical emergencies, because they provide rapid, ICU-level transport for critically ill or injured patients. By bypassing traffic, traversing difficult terrain, and connecting remote areas to specialized medical centers, they maximize survival rates during the time-sensitive ‘golden hour’ of rescue.
Considering the extent to which our roads have deteriorated, the traditional ambulance service is unable to make it to accident victims or other people in need of their services promptly, hence the call for the introduction of air ambulance.
Finally, the laws prohibiting the photographing of accident victims and circulating same, should be strictly enforced under the relevant laws such as the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). Put yourself in the accident victim situation. It can be anyone, since accidents are no respecters of persons.
In conclusion, road safety requires tough laws coupled with incorruptible enforcement officers. Ghana may have to consider widening the mandate and powers of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), to enable it play a more prominent and aggressive role in our quest to make our roads safer. This step will free up the Police to concentrate on making our neighbourhoods more secure and bring to justice the murderers of Ahmed Suale and the like.
This is exactly what the UK has done through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which has led to a significant reduction in road fatalities in the UK.
Throughout my fifteen (15) years sojourn over there, I never heard for once that a single Road Traffic Accident (RTA) had claimed the lives of ten (10) people. Meanwhile in Ghana, an RTA that results in the loss of ten (10) lives or more, appears to be normal and daily news.
The existing road safety measures in Ghana have failed woefully, hence the need for a new approach. The current lglove-handed and lackadaisical approach is a major contributor to the ‘war zone scenes’ on our roads. To return our roads to normalcy, Military cum Rambo-style measures are inevitable!
Alhassan Salifu Bawah
(son of an upright peasant farmer)
