When I began my journalism career some 30 years ago, one of the assignments I always looked forward to covering was seminars and workshops organised to educate commercial drivers on road traffic regulations and responsible driving.
At such programmes, professional facilitators were engaged to educate drivers on the dangers of speeding, reckless driving, disregard for road signs and other traffic offences.
The objective was to equip drivers with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes to make our roads safer and prevent avoidable fatalities.
Those were the days when the then Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), E.K. Gbedemah, would direct drivers to participate in such educational programmes.
Driver education and professional development were considered essential components of responsible road transport operations.
It was, therefore, little wonder that there appeared to be greater discipline among drivers and a stronger appreciation of the need to observe traffic regulations.
Disappeared
Unfortunately, those regular educational exercises have, over the years, virtually disappeared.
Their disappearance, coupled with weak enforcement of traffic regulations, has contributed to the indiscipline, recklessness and alarming fatalities that now characterise our roads.
Today, virtually every traffic infraction appears to have been normalised.
Drivers overtake dangerously, disregard traffic signs, exceed speed limits, drive against traffic and engage in other hazardous practices with little apparent concern for the consequences.
Pedestrians, passengers and other road users are consequently exposed to avoidable dangers.
More disturbing is the apparent absence of sufficiently deterrent consequences for some offenders.
Drivers whose reckless conduct results in deaths and serious injuries may be arrested and prosecuted, but concerns remain about whether the sanctions imposed are adequate to discourage repeat offences.
Where offenders return to the roads without meaningful rehabilitation or deterrent punishment, the cycle of recklessness is likely to continue.
The statistics on road traffic fatalities in Ghana are, indeed, heartbreaking.
According to figures released by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), a total of 2,949 people died in road crashes in 2025, the highest annual road fatality figure recorded in 35 years.
The deaths comprised 2,352 males and 597 females. A total of 14,743 crashes were also recorded, representing a 9.3 per cent increase over the 2024 figure.
These numbers constitute someone's father, mother, child, breadwinner, student or worker whose life has been abruptly cut short.
Families are left devastated, livelihoods destroyed and communities deprived of valuable human resources.
What makes the situation particularly disturbing is that many of these deaths are preventable.
Excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking, disregard for traffic regulations and other forms of irresponsible driving continue to put innocent lives at risk.
It is against this background that the introduction of the Traffic Technology system, TraffiTech-GH, by the government deserves commendation.
President John Dramani Mahama deserves particular credit for the initiative, which represents an important step towards confronting the country's road safety crisis through technology-driven enforcement.
Speaking at a meeting with the Presidential Press Corps at the Jubilee House, the President described the newly activated system as a life-saving intervention aimed at curbing road accidents, particularly those caused by speeding.
Alarming
He drew attention to the alarming number of people killed on our roads, including pedestrians knocked down by speeding vehicles.
His observation that a driver travelling at 80 kilometres per hour in an urban area may be unable to stop in time when a child suddenly crosses the road underscores the potentially fatal consequences of excessive speed.
The President's insistence on enforcing the 50-kilometre-per-hour speed limit in urban centres is, therefore, both appropriate and necessary.
Speed limits are not arbitrary restrictions designed to inconvenience motorists; they exist primarily to protect lives.
It is equally encouraging that the TraffiTech-GH system, activated on November 1, 2026, is already attracting attention, with reports from Kumasi indicating a 10 per cent reduction in road crashes in the Ashanti Region.
Although such early indications must be assessed over a longer period before definitive conclusions can be drawn, they offer hope that technology-assisted enforcement can make a meaningful difference.
Importantly, the President has clarified that the system is not intended to generate revenue for the government but to promote compliance with traffic regulations and save lives.
The initial phase focuses on speeding, while additional modules covering offences such as running red lights and illegal parking are expected to be introduced subsequently.
This phased approach is commendable.
However, the effectiveness of the initiative will depend heavily on its consistent implementation, maintenance and expansion.
The government must resist any temptation to abandon or weaken the system once the initial enthusiasm surrounding its introduction fades.
Furthermore, technology alone cannot solve Ghana's road safety challenges.
It must be complemented by sustained public education, regular driver training, effective vehicle inspections, proper road signage, improved pedestrian facilities and strict prosecution of traffic offenders.
The NRSA, GPRTU, transport operators, the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department and other relevant stakeholders must work together to restore discipline on our roads.
Indeed, there is a compelling need to revive the regular driver education programmes that were once a familiar feature of the transport sector.
Drivers must continually be reminded that possessing a licence does not automatically make one a responsible road user.
Measuring success
Ultimately, the success of TraffiTech-GH should not be measured by the number of motorists arrested, penalties imposed or revenue generated, but by the number of lives saved and the reduction in road crashes and fatalities.
President Mahama has taken an important step in the right direction.
He deserves commendation for demonstrating the political will to confront a problem that has claimed far too many innocent lives.
The expectation of Ghanaians is that this intervention will be sustained, strengthened and expanded until our roads become safer for everyone. Saving lives must be the ultimate measure of its success.
The writer is a journalist
based in Accra
