Cars and Driving

Visitors to Ghana should hire local drivers and not attempt to drive themselves. Ghanaian drivers do not necessarily follow set traffic rules. One is not required to either read or know rules of the road to get a driver’s license and in general drivers make their own rules. Speed can be excessive even in the city. There are no laws protecting victims in an accident, and there is practically no police supervision of traffic. Car accidents are common and often deadly.
Roads are marked around the outskirts of a city, but within cities, signs tend to disappear. Roads connecting cities can often be dangerous due to the driving style of Ghanaian truck, bus and taxi drivers. Tourists are encouraged to travel from city to city by taking a bus or renting a car with a Ghanaian driver. Drivers are available for hire at most rental agencies.

Although crosswalks exist in certain neighborhoods, they are mostly ignored. Pedestrians must be very vigilant, use common sense, and only cross a street when there are no cars coming.