National Road Safety Authority to introduce 'traffic tech' for speed limit enforcement

Ghanaian

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) is planning to introduce traffic tech, a technology-based road traffic enforcement initiative, which will be launched by the end of the second quarter of this year, Graphic Online reports.

Using strategically placed cameras on the country's roads and highways, the automated speed limit enforcement program will be activated soon.

Martin Owusu

Read full articleAfram, the Director for Planning and Programs at the NRSA, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic on February 5, stating that the initiative was part of the Stay Alive campaign aimed to reduce road accidents.

To ensure compliance, Mr Afram led a group from the NRSA and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to enforce road traffic regulations on the Suhum-Koforidua stretch of the N4 Highway, where the speed levels of drivers were tested.

Mr Afram explained that currently, the NRSA is conducting awareness campaigns to sensitize drivers on the need to adhere strictly to speed limits before the traffic tech program is launched.

After the rollout, drivers will be required to pay a fine, and non-compliance will attract stiffer sanctions. In preparation for the program's launch, the NRSA is collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to identify every motorist on the road.

During the three-hour enforcement exercise on the Suhum-Koforidua highway, which started around 10 a.m, officials of the NRSA and the police educated drivers on road safety measures, and errant drivers were processed for court.

The team mounted cameras 200 meters ahead of the operation area to capture the speed of drivers, those without seat belts, and their number plates.

The cameras recorded drivers' behavior 200 meters away, their number plates, and speed, as well as those without seat belts fastened.

The information was relayed to the NRSA and police officers, who stopped drivers to either educate them on the implications of their behavior or process them for court in extreme cases.

The data collected during the enforcement exercise indicated that some drivers were driving at 149 kilometers per hour (kph) in 80 kph zones, while others were traveling at about 90 kilometers in a-50kmh zone.