Road accidents continue to claim lives and leave many injured across Ghana, with concerns now mounting over the growing use of high-intensity Chinese-style headlights on vehicles.
Sampson Asaki-Awingobit, Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, has raised alarm over what he describes as the dangerous spread of artificial high-beam headlights on commercial and private vehicles. According to him, these lights are blinding drivers at night and in low-visibility conditions, increasing the risk of head-on collisions, pedestrian knockdowns and multi-vehicle crashes.
“Many of these headlights are not regulated and are far brighter than standard factory lights. When drivers face them at night, visibility drops instantly, reaction time is reduced, and accidents become almost unavoidable,” Asaki-Awingobit said.
Across major highways such as Accra–Kumasi, Accra–Cape Coast, Tema–Akosombo and inner-city roads, motorists and commuters have repeatedly complained about being dazzled by harsh white and blue lights, especially from modified buses, cargo trucks and private saloon cars. Drivers say the glare forces them to slow down suddenly, swerve off their lanes or temporarily lose sight of the road.
Road safety analysts link poor visibility, speeding, reckless overtaking and vehicle defects as leading contributors to Ghana’s road carnage. The addition of unapproved headlights, experts warn, further worsens an already dangerous situation.
Asaki-Awingobit is calling on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Standards Authority and Customs authorities to tighten enforcement on the importation, sale and use of these headlights.
He also urged spare parts dealers and roadside mechanics, particularly those operating at hubs such as Abossey Okai, to stop encouraging motorists to install unapproved lighting systems purely for appearance or perceived brightness.
“Public safety must come before profit. If these lights are allowed to flood our markets and roads unchecked, more lives will be lost,” he warned.
Some transport operators support the call, noting that while improved lighting can enhance visibility, excessive brightness without proper alignment and standards becomes a hazard rather than a safety feature.
Road safety advocates are further encouraging government to intensify public education on vehicle standards, introduce stricter penalties for non-compliance and conduct routine night inspections on highways.
As Ghana continues to battle rising road accident figures, stakeholders say decisive action on vehicle safety standards, including headlight regulation, could help reduce needless injuries and deaths on the country’s roads.
Story by Doe Benjamin Kofi Lawson