WHY NIGHT DRIVING IN GHANA IS OFTEN DANGEROUS

All roads and highways in Europe have lights to make night driving very easy

Many drivers believe that it is easier to drive in the night since the density of traffic is very low, enabling one to drive fast and calm but there are a lot of factors which create difficulties during night driving. This is one of the reasons there are many road accidents in Ghana.

Apart from bad roads, many vehicles on Ghanaian roads are not road worthy and the lack of proper road maintenance poses a threat to the lives of thousands of motorists, using Ghanaian roads.

Related topic: How Safe It Is To Ride A Bicycle In Ghana?

https://www.modernghana.com/news/875357/how-safe-it-is-to-ride-a-bicycle-in-ghana.html

In Ghana, the driving license unit in Accra, is the only recognized institution that conducts thorough examination on vehicles, for example, the lights, indicators, headlights and backlights, before the roadworthy certificate is issued but  one of the most important things, which is the adjustment of  headlights to the right level is not an important issue.

Many European drivers fail a vehicle examination or control test because of poor adjustment of headlights. Since the headlights are not adjusted to the right level, it creates difficulties for motorists. Badly adjusted headlight shines directly into the eyes of the oncoming traffic, causing partial blindness which often leads to a number of road accidents in Ghana.

A powerful beam of light blinds the driver, both oncoming and in front of the vehicle. This means that for a while the driver will find difficulty in seeing the road and if the motorist is inexperienced, he can easily drive to the wrong side of the road or can lead to a head-on collision. 

Related topic: Make Ghana Roads Safe With Belgium Road Safety Plan

https://www.modernghana.com/news/873939/make-ghana-roads-safe-with-belgium-road-safety-plan.html

In Africa, including Ghana, since the maintaining of road safety to European or modern standards involves financial matter; no government is willing to invest money into such costly projects. The result is deaths on our roads today in Ghana.

According to ModernGhana news article which appeared in yesterday’s edition, Ghana spends up to $230 million every year treating injuries and traffic fatalities and the situation is worse, since there is fewer than 80 orthopedics in the country, limiting access to emergency treatment.

If that's true then Ghanaian government must consider building safer roads in Ghana.

Lights on highways make night travelling easy and comfortable

Driving in Ghana in the night or travelling in the night is very dangerous due to the fact that one cannot see far and foresee changes in situations. When a vehicle, such a tipper truck or timber trailers break down in the middle of the road in the night it's very difficult to see it. Such situations often cause serious road accidents.

Street projects without lights is a bad job, therefore, the Ghanaian government should take road safety very seriously to reduce the number of road accidents in the night.

Related topic: So You Think You Know How To Drive?

https://www.modernghana.com/news/855726/so-you-think-you-know-how-to-drive.html

HOW SAFE IS TO RIDE A BICYCLE IN AFRICA?

Safe bicycle riding in Europe under traffic light rules

In Africa, vehicle drivers don’t get along with cyclists. Many are always angry with cyclists because they think cyclists are impediments on the path of motorists, yet they don’t know that cyclists have the same rights as motorists.

The Highway Code is an official book that gives the rules to motorists and people on how to use the road safely, and the advanced dictionary defines a vehicle, which motorists use as a conveyance moving on wheels, runners, or tracks, such as an automobile or tractor.

In regard to this definition, since a bicycle has wheels, it is qualified as a vehicle to use the road like every motorist without any horn or verbal harassment.

In reality, if there is any anger, motorists have to direct that to the Ghana Highway Authority because they have failed to consider cyclists whenever constructing Ghanaian roads.

The Ghana Highway Authority has a duty to maintain to ensure the safety of road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. The adequate provision by the authority is to ensure that cyclists are safe on Ghanaian roads. However, this is not the case.

Ghanaian roads are life-threatening to cyclists because they aren’t constructed with the safety of cyclists in mind. The setback in Africa is so severe that it has also affected the roads. 

Ghanaian roads are of a poor standard, with countless potholes and no light poles, making it extremely dangerous to drive at night when travelling long distances.

Because cyclists are safe on European roads, many like to park their cars at home and use bicycles to work. Riding a bicycle helps in many ways, is punctual, saves money, and promotes good health.

The reason apart from cyclists sharing roads with motorists, they also have special roads and traffic lights to ensure their safety. In Antwerp, there is a bicycle tunnel, built under the sea, connecting the city of Antwerp and Linkeroever.

Before the tunnel is a lift that takes the cyclist below to the entrance of the tunnel to ride through. It’s the most beautiful experience as cycling through the tunnel to linkeroever within a few minutes, whereas it may take you about twenty-five minutes to go by bus.

Every road in Europe is specially designed to give comfort to cyclists, but why not in Ghana, when so many people are finding it difficult to join the public transport to work because of high fares?

Apart from our great leader, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, any Ghanaian leader who will not take up the challenge to do something significant and different to develop the country will always be considered as a child learning how to play football.

There are too many insults in Ghanaian newspapers; therefore, which Ghanaian leader is ready to change these insults to praises? Both NDC and NPP want to rule Ghana, but which of the parties has considered embarking on an underground drainage system to improve the tourism industry?

Special safe bicycle routes for users in Europe

All of them want to rule Ghana to get rich. Their power struggle is not for the poor suffering masses. After the death of Kwame Nkrumah, the money Ghana's leaders have stolen could have given the country a certain facelift to look somewhat like one of the poor Eastern European countries.

As dangerous as it is to ride a bicycle in Ghana, many cyclists don't wear helmets, yet there are traffic police officers in the country. 

The Ghana Highway Authority must consider cyclists in its future street projects after reading this article.