Compulsory vehicle towing expected to cut road accidents, says CUTS International
Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Director of CUTS International, has stated that making the towing of broken-down vehicles compulsory will lower the number of road crashes and boost safety on Ghana’s highways.
He explained that forcing vehicle owners to sign up for towing services or take out insurance policies that include towing cover would stop motorists from abandoning stranded cars on the road and trying to repair them amid traffic.
The remarks come after the government announced plans for a mandatory towing system under the new Road Traffic Regulations. Under the rules, owners will be responsible for quickly arranging the removal of any vehicle that breaks down or is involved in a collision.
Kwame Koduah Attuahene, Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), noted that owners who ignore the requirement risk having their vehicles forcibly towed, with the expense billed to them.
“The law is that every vehicle owner will be required to subscribe to a towing service company or buy an insurance policy that has a towing service tied to it,” Mr Attuahene said.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, 10 September, Mr Adomako backed the measure, describing it as essential because abandoned broken-down vehicles have become a major danger on Ghana’s roads.
“Yes, I agree with it because the practicalities involved are quite tedious,” he said.
“Most drivers, when their car breaks down on the road, they stop on the road, and they have turned the road into a mechanic shop trying to fix the car. Because there’s no regulation on that, people have turned the highway into garages.”
He added that the ongoing presence of disabled vehicles on busy routes heightens risks for other drivers and frequently contributes to collisions.
“Most accidents that are happening on the road are as a result of broken-down cars on the road,” Mr Adomako stated.
Under the new arrangement, drivers would simply contact their designated towing provider when a vehicle fails, ensuring it is cleared from the roadway instead of being repaired on the spot.
“So now, by compelling car owners to buy insurance, whenever your car breaks down, you call your insurance company, and they have to respond within a certain time frame,” he explained.
Mr Adomako expressed confidence that the NRSA would effectively oversee insurance firms and towing operators to guarantee timely assistance for motorists in need.
