By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Aug. 05, GNA – The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has urged Ghanaians to reflect on the motivation behind Ghana’s historic switch from left-hand to right-hand driving 51 years ago and translate that awareness into safer behaviour on the roads.
Madam Simbiat Wiredu, Head of Corporate Affairs at the NRSA, said the transition, implemented on August 4, 1974, under, “Operation Keep Right”, was not merely an alignment with international and regional practices but was fundamentally aimed at enhancing road safety and preserving lives.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday, she said the decision to switch was influenced by safety considerations, as well as the need to harmonise Ghana’s traffic flow with neighbouring countries and global driving standards.
“Safety was a key objective for moving from the left to the right. Fifty-one years on, this remains a significant milestone in Ghana’s road safety story and a reminder that every policy, every change, should ultimately safeguard lives,” she said.
She said while the change had not directly determined current crash statistics, the principle behind it remained relevant, especially as road traffic crashes continued to claim lives.
“The position of the steering wheel or the side of the road we drive on does not cause crashes; rather, it is the behaviour of drivers and road users,” she explained.
According to Madam Wiredu, Ghanaians must learn from the spirit behind the switch and imbibe a stronger sense of responsibility on the road.
“Every Ghanaian should prioritise his or her own safety. Whether as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, we all have a role to play,” she stressed.
She said even though the NRSA had not yet decided on making the feat an annual celebration, periodic commemorations, combined with embedding the historical knowledge of the 1974 switch into public education, would strengthen road safety awareness.
The NRSA Corporate Affairs Head also informed that current crash rates remained worrying, warning that fatalities could reach 3,000 this year if urgent interventions were not implemented.
She called for intensified road safety education, rigorous inspections, and a stronger regulatory presence on the roads to reverse the trend.
According to Road Crash statistics from the NRSA, Ghana recorded 7,289 road crashes between January and June 2025, resulting in 1,504 deaths, 8,364 injuries, and 1,301 pedestrian knockdowns.
This translates to eight people dying every single day, with dozens more injured.
When compared to the same period last year, the numbers reveal a frightening surge. In the first half of 2024, road crashes claimed 1,237 lives, meaning there has been a 21.6 per cent increase in fatalities.
Crashes rose from 6,653 in 2024 to 7,289 in 2025, while vehicles involved jumped from 11,283 to 12,354. Injuries also climbed sharply, rising from 7,561 to 8,364.
Madam Wiredu advocated for the mainstreaming of road safety education across all educational levels in multiple languages, ensuring that even those who did not progress to higher levels of schooling gained essential safety knowledge.
Ghana changed from left-hand driving (LHD) to right-hand driving (RHD) on August 4, 1974, under the leadership of General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
The switch offers several benefits including improving safety in countries where the majority of vehicles are right-hand drive, reducing the risk of accidents caused by drivers being on the wrong side of the road.
Such a switch often raises road safety standards because both vehicles and infrastructure are designed with RHD in mind.
Additionally, aligning with neighbouring countries which use RHD facilitates trade, travel, and tourism by reducing confusion and enhancing safety at border crossings.
The transition can also bring economic benefits, as it encourages cooperation with RHD countries and simplifies vehicle imports, making vehicles more affordable and widely available.
Countries like Samoa successfully switched from LHD to RHD in 2009 to align with neighbouring Pacific nations and lower vehicle import costs.
Ghana and other African nations also switched or considered the transition as part of efforts to reduce accidents and improve safety.
However, the process comes with challenges. The transition requires significant investment in infrastructure, vehicle adaptation, and driver training.
Public education campaigns are crucial to inform drivers about the changes and ensure compliance with new road rules. Vehicle compatibility also poses a challenge, as existing fleets may need to be adapted or replaced to suit the new driving orientation.
Overall, while the move from LHD to RHD can deliver long-term safety and economic benefits, it demands careful planning, substantial resources, and coordinated implementation to achieve success, which Ghana did.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong