Accra: The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has explained key changes introduced under Ghana's new road traffic regulations, including stricter provisions on drink-driving, child restraint devices, commercial vehicles, and the towing of broken-down vehicles. Speaking on The Law on JoyNews monitored by GhanaWeb, the Director of Regulations, Inspections and Compliance at the NRSA, Kwame Koduah Atuahene, stated that the reforms are aimed at addressing the rising level of road crashes while responding to emerging modes of transportation.
According to Ghana Web, Atuahene emphasized that the reforms became necessary as Ghana's transportation landscape evolves, particularly with the growing prominence of motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. He highlighted the need for closer coordination among the licensing authority, regulatory agencies, the police, and the Ministry of Transport to ensure effective implementation.
One of the major changes concerns the permissible alcohol level for motorists. Atuahene explained that the previous threshold of 0.08 has been reduced to 0.05, as evidence indicated that motorists could still be insufficiently sober to drive safely at the former limit. He clarified that a driver stopped by the police with an alcohol level above 0.05 percent will now have committed an offence.
Atuahene also stressed the importance of improving the quality and training of commercial drivers. He advocated for a more intensive training regime for commercial and public service vehicle drivers, suggesting that the training required to obtain a licence to drive a private vehicle should differ from that for operating a commercial vehicle. This, he noted, is necessary to achieve the quality assurance standards expected of drivers transporting large numbers of passengers.
The new law also introduces requirements for dealing with vehicles that break down on the road. Vehicle owners are now required to ensure immediate removal of a broken-down vehicle from the road. Owners must either subscribe to a towing service provider or have an insurance policy that assists in getting their disabled vehicle off the road. Atuahene stated that the NRSA would be responsible for monitoring the implementation of this requirement.
Child restraint devices are also part of the reforms, with new mandatory requirements intended to improve the protection of children travelling in vehicles. The amended law mandates child restraints for children up to age 12, with requirements linked to factors such as age, height, and weight.
Atuahene noted that the broader reforms address emerging modes of transportation, with a legal framework now in place for the commercial use of motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. These amendments aim to regulate the sector effectively, ensuring that the law can respond to changes in mobility.
Additionally, Atuahene mentioned efforts to strengthen the regulation of tyres and safety equipment. Extensive consultations with industry stakeholders were conducted following controversy over an earlier tyre regulation. The current provisions were agreed upon after these nationwide consultations.
Parliament passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill, 2025, in December 2025, amending the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), with provisions covering alcohol concentration limits, the commercial use of motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles, safety equipment, and commercial drivers.