Practical summary of the Ghana Highway Code
Guidelines and rules of thumb to drive safely with special section for Road Signs
General
- Keep your car in good condition:
- regularly check lights, breaks, steering, tyres, direction indicators
- regularly clean windscreen and windows
- Wear seatbelts
- When on a motercycle, scooter or moped, always wear a safety helmet
- Know all road signs
Defensive driving
| Your SPEED | Your DISTANCE |
| 30 kmh | 15 meter |
| 50 kmh | 25 meter |
| 70 kmh | 50 meter |
| 90 kmh | 75 meter |
| 120 kmh | 100 meter |
- Signal about what you plan to do
- Use your mirrors
- Keep to the speed limit, especially to 50 kmh (km per hour) in town
- Keep your distance to the car before you:
- Mind pedestrians, cyclists and animals along the road
- Give way to ambulance, fire engines or police when their blue lights flash or two-tone horns sound
- Respect limits in using of alcohol or medicine
Emergency
- Control your car in emergency situations:
- if a tyre blows, do NOT slam brakes; control your steering wheel, steer right ahead and slowly stop
- if a rearwheel skid happens, do NOT slam brakes: turn your steering wheel in the direction of the skid, as the car straightens out, straighten the front wheels also
- if the accelaration pedal jams, turn off ignition and brake to a stop, leaving your car in gear !
- In case of misbehaviour of other road users: warn with horn and with flashlights, pull to the right as far as possible
Lines and lanes
- Keep right when you plan no special action
- Single broken line:
you may cross for overtaking, when the road is clear - Double solid line:
you may NOT cross in any circumstance - Mixed line:
you may cross for overtaking, when the dotted line is on your side and the road is clear - Dual carriageway (motorway only):
- keep right, when you have moderate speed
- go to the left for overtaking only
- Three-lane carriageway (motorway only):
- keep right, when you have moderate speed
- stay in the middle, when slower vehicles are on your right
- go to the left for overtaking only
- Choose your lane when turning left or right: follow road markings and arrows in time !
- Do not enter areas marked with yellow diagonal stripes
Overtaking
- Check if the road is clear using your mirrors, signal before acting
- Overtake quickly and move back to the right
- Do NOT accelerate while being overtaken
- Give way to cars coming to you from the opposite direction
- On motorways never overtake on the right side
- Do NOT overtake:
- when coming to a junction, a crossing, a corner or bend, a bridge or a hill
- when the road narrows
- when you might hinder another car
- when you would have to violate rules for lines and lanes
- when there is a "no overtaking" road sign
Road Junctions
- Look left, look right, look left again before crossing or turning; use your mirrors to double-check
- On a level crossing, give way to a car from the left
- On a priority junction:
- when you have NO priority, stop at the "stop" or "give way" road sign, wait for a safe gap in the traffic before moving on
- when you have priority, make sure other road users give way to you before moving on
- when a mandatory road sign is present, follow indicated direction
- When controlled by traffic lights, follow the lights, but make sure other road users give way before moving on at a green light
- When controlled by a police officer, follow his/her directions at all times
Roundabouts
- turning right: stay to the rightside of the road or choose the outer lane if two lanes are present (yellow arrows)
- going forward: you are free to choose the inside (blue arrows) or the outside (yellow arrows) of the roundabout, but once on the inside you should not turn right anymore (red arrows); likewise, when on the outside you should not go left (red arrows)
- going left: use the inside of the roundabout or choose the inner lane if two lanes are present (blue arrows)
- When approaching: give way to a car from the left
- When on the roundabout follow directions for turning right, going straight forward and going left:
Reversing
- Make sure no one is behind you, particularly pedestrians and children
- When you cannot see clearly: get a guide
- Never reverse from a side road into a main road
Lights
- Use headlamps where there is no street lighting
- Use dipped headlamps in build-up areas
- Dip your lamps when meeting other cars
- If you are dazzled by other cars, slow down
- Use headlamps when there is mist
Waiting and parking
- Do NOT park where
- there is a prohibitory road sign
- it would be difficult for others to see clearly
- it would be a danger to others
- it would hold up traffic or make the road narrow
- emergency vehicles stop
- Take care when opening a door when leaving, use your handbrake, turn off lights and always lock your car
Breakdowns and accidents
- If you have a breakdown:
- get your car off the road
- flash the amber direction indicators
- place the red reflecting triangle 50 meters before your car
- Accidents:
- if there is no help: give first aid
- if there is help available: pass slowly and follow indications of police
- Joining:
- When approaching from a road on the right (slip road): give way to traffic already on the motorway, accelerate in the extra lane, join the inside lane when you have the same speed as the traffic
- Leaving:
- When leaving by a road on the right: watch for the signs about your turn-off point, give a clear signal, get into the right lane and join the slip road in time
- If you miss your turn-off point, carry on until the next one, do NOT reverse or turn back
- Keep your distance at any level crossing
- Do not cross a railway once the red lights have started to flash
- At crossings without gates: always stop, look both ways, listen carefully if there is no train coming
- If you are just crossing when the red lights start flashing: keep going
