Traffic calming is an important technique of speed control aimed at improving road safety, and these techniques have been widely adopted as the major speed control devices in Ghana. The term traffic calming may be defined as the combination of physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter motorists’ behavior, and improve conditions for non-motorized road users, and these include speed bumps.
While these speed bumps are constructed legally, the illegal ones are far too many, making it stressful for drivers as they endure the unpleasant experience of their vehicles struggling to climb dozens of speed bumps after every few minutes.
Despite the intention behind these speed bumps to regulate traffic and reduce accidents on our roads, in recent times, they have turned into an inconvenience rather than a safety measure against collisions, leading to longer trips than are customary. For their safety, residents in certain areas have circumvented the law to install speed ramps. Although intended to save lives, this practice has turned into a pain in the neck for travelers, making them uncomfortable.
A report by GhanaWeb show drivers blaming road crashes on the increasing number of speed ramps that are illegally constructed by unauthorized persons in some communities.
According to them, drivers who are new to highways with speed ramps made of concretes and bark of trees in a bid to swerve them ended up in head-on collisions when they unexpectedly bump into them.
In May 2018, Graphic Online reported a speed bump-induced accident, where a collision between two vehicles claimed three lives and left 50 others in critical condition on Takoradi-Cape Coast-Accra Highway.
This and many other similar incidents speak of the dangers speed bumps cause on our roads, especially the unauthorized ones. These not only cause destruction of lives and property to individuals but to the government.
In 2021, the Ghana Police Service’s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) instructed all municipalities to report the construction of illegal speed ramps in their areas. The MTTD and the Ghana Highways Authority noted that these speed bumps, typically built by locals to reduce speeding and curb pedestrian accidents, not only deteriorate road infrastructure but also contribute to road accidents.
To join in combating this challenge, the Ministry of Roads and Highways pledged to remove all unauthorised speed humps and replace them with speed calming measures like raised islands and road line markings to reduce avoidable accidents. The long-term plan was to install speed cameras at highway sections through settlements in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
Speed bumps with poor construction and design continue to be extremely dangerous for drivers, and these drivers continue to call on the National Road Safety Authority and relevant stakeholders to ensure that sanity is maintained on the various roads.
According to studies, sustainable safety vision criteria are not met by the majority of speed bumps in most regions of the country, speed bumps should be considered a short- to medium-term solution that will eventually be replaced by more sustainable options, such as modified driving habits and technology-based solutions that satisfy the requirements of the sustainable safety vision model. Standardization of speed bumps will also be ideal for increased safety, user friendliness, and overall efficiency.
