Traffic lights or traffic signals are signalling devices with Red, Amber and Green lights positioned at road intersections and pedestrian crossings, to control the flows of traffic.
Most of the time when using the road in the middle of the night, you find the traffic light on constant Amber without the Red calling for the road users to stop or the Green for a go.
According to some road users and drivers, the constant amber at night is causing more harm than good as they blame the high incidents of road accidents on the system.
Recounting her experience with GhanaWeb, actress Nana Ama McBrown when asked what caused the accident that almost claimed her life in 2013, disclosed that it occurred at an intersection which had the traffic light on amber, citing that a speeding driver collided with them.
But reacting to calls for the restoration of amber traffic lights to the normal status, Director for research, education and training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Superintendent Alexander Obeng explained that the system was in place to protect drivers and other road users from attackers and robberies at night.
He told the GhanaWeb Road Safety Campaign team in an interview that;
"Late at night when there isn’t any rush hour, in police urbanize judiciary rules, there are other security agencies that sets in, because of anticipated robbery incidents and criminal attacks on motorist and vehicle occupants.
Therefore, around that time when traffic has dissipated, and you have fewer traffic, which mostly people can serve compliance, the road engineer will then switch the road signals off to facilitate swifter, consistent and constant in motion traffic so that resident’s, road users are not attacked by criminals.”
About GhanaWeb Road Safety Campaign:
The GhanaWeb Road Safety Campaign forms a part of the numerous projects GhanaWeb has rolled out as part of its 22nd-anniversary celebrations.
The year-long campaign dubbed #GhanaWebRoadSafety took off on Monday, March 1, 2021, and will focus on three key areas: indiscipline on roads; bad roads, and potholes that contribute to road accidents and absence of streetlights.
The campaign is being executed in partnership with major stakeholders including the Ghana Road Safety Commission, the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Highway Authority, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the Ghana Fire Service, the Ghana National Ambulance Service and the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority.
The campaign is also spearheaded by musician and politician Bice Osei Kuffour (Obour) as the Ambassador.
Join in the conversation by sharing your videos about indiscipline, bad roads and accidents on all our social media platforms; Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @TheGhanaWeb and to our Whatsapp number: 0552699625
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