Traffitech rollout: What Ghana can learn from countries that warn motorists about speed cameras

The rollout of Ghana’s automated traffic enforcement system, Traffitech, has brought into sharp focus an important aspect of road safety management: the responsibility of authorities to provide motorists with adequate road signs before enforcing traffic regulations.

As concerns grow over inadequate speed-limit signs and the absence of advance warnings about enforcement cameras, experiences from developed jurisdictions suggest that Ghana could benefit from a more comprehensive approach that combines technology, clear road signage, public education and effective enforcement.

In countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Australia, warning signs are widely used to alert motorists to speed cameras, although the legal requirements and enforcement policies differ.

The underlying policy question is whether motorists should be encouraged to comply with speed limits before reaching enforcement points or whether authorities should rely principally on detecting and penalising violations after they occur.

Traffitech, which commenced operation on November 1, 2026, uses cameras and other electronic devices to detect traffic violations, including speeding and running red lights.

The system is intended to improve compliance with road traffic regulations and reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities.

However, its introduction has exposed concerns about the adequacy of the country’s road infrastructure, particularly the visibility and availability of speed-limit signs.

On Wednesday, November 4, the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Abraham Amaliba, acknowledged these concerns during an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show.

He announced that Traffitech cameras would initially operate only on roads where speed limits were clearly displayed.

Mr Amaliba argued that it would be unfair to penalise motorists for failures attributable to the authorities responsible for providing road infrastructure.

He cited Boundary Road towards Mahama Road in Accra, where a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour is displayed, as an example of a road where automated enforcement could operate.

The NRSA Director-General also acknowledged concerns about the absence of advance camera warning signs and indicated that steps would be considered to give motorists adequate notice.

He explained that the Department of Urban Roads, Department of Feeder Roads and Ghana Highway Authority would have responsibility for providing the necessary signs.

His comments followed a meeting on November 3 involving government officials, the police and transport operators to address concerns surrounding the implementation of Traffitech.

The Ghana Police Service’s official Traffitech guidance provides important clarification on the legal position.

According to the police, some roads and intersections have warning signs announcing enforcement cameras, while others do not.

The guidance states that there is no general legal obligation to announce traffic enforcement operations and that the absence of a camera warning sign does not invalidate a traffic offence.

It further explains that licensed drivers are expected to know the statutory speed limits prescribed under the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), whether or not a speed-limit sign is displayed.

The police identify general speed limits including 30 kilometres per hour in specified areas of predominant human activity, 50 kilometres per hour in urban or built-up areas, 90 kilometres per hour on highways and 100 kilometres per hour on motorways.

This introduces an important distinction between the legal obligations of motorists and the operational policy announced by the NRSA.

While motorists remain legally responsible for complying with applicable speed limits, the NRSA has indicated that automated enforcement will initially be restricted to roads with adequate speed-limit signs.

There is also a distinction between speed-limit signs and camera warning signs. The former communicate the maximum permissible speed, while the latter alert motorists to the presence of automated enforcement equipment. Both can contribute to safer driving, but they perform different functions.

The concerns have prompted official action.

In a letter dated November 3, 2026, the NRSA directed the Ghana Highway Authority and Department of Urban Roads to urgently address deficiencies in road infrastructure, including missing signs, faded road markings, faulty traffic lights and inadequate street lighting.

The Authority warned that these deficiencies could undermine the effectiveness of Traffitech and compromise road safety.

The agencies were also asked to provide timelines for completing the necessary improvements.

The directive underscores the importance of ensuring that physical road infrastructure keeps pace with the deployment of digital enforcement technology.

In the United Kingdom, speed camera warning signs are a familiar feature of the road network.

The signs typically display a camera symbol to alert motorists to the possibility of automated speed enforcement.

However, British police guidance makes clear that there is no general legal requirement for fixed or mobile speed cameras to be accompanied by warning signs. Their use is instead governed by operational policies and best-practice guidance.

This means that motorists can be prosecuted for speeding even where no advance camera warning has been provided.

Nevertheless, the widespread use of camera warning signs demonstrates that authorities can combine enforcement with measures intended to encourage drivers to moderate their speed.

France operates an extensive automated speed enforcement system in which fixed speed cameras are generally announced through roadside warning signs.

These signs alert drivers to the presence of enforcement equipment and encourage them to observe the applicable speed limits.

However, the French system distinguishes between fixed and mobile enforcement. Mobile speed cameras may operate without advance warning, while red-light enforcement cameras are not subject to the same general warning arrangements.

The French approach illustrates how advance warnings can form part of a broader traffic enforcement strategy without eliminating the use of less visible enforcement methods.

One of the clearest examples of the role of advance camera warnings comes from New South Wales, Australia.

The state operates an extensive automated speed enforcement programme, with fixed cameras installed at locations selected on the basis of road safety considerations, including crash histories and vehicle speeds.

According to the New South Wales Government, every regular fixed speed camera is accompanied by highly visible advance warning signs.

Three signs are installed on the approach to a regular fixed camera, informing motorists that a camera operates ahead, reminding them of the applicable speed limit and warning of the consequences of speeding.

Importantly, the government acknowledges that these advisory signs are not legally mandatory. Their installation is a deliberate transport policy intended to alert motorists before they reach enforcement points.

The authorities also publish information about fixed camera locations, including the reasons for their installation.

The state’s experience with mobile speed cameras is particularly instructive.

In 2020, the New South Wales Government removed advance warning signs from mobile camera operations as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement.

The decision attracted public criticism amid a substantial increase in speeding infringements. The government subsequently reversed the policy and restored advance warning signs.

The controversy highlighted competing approaches to traffic enforcement: using cameras to detect speeding wherever it occurs, and using visible warnings to encourage motorists to slow down before reaching enforcement locations.

Today, New South Wales uses warning signs for mobile speed camera operations as well as fixed installations.

Australia does not, however, have a uniform national policy. In Victoria, mobile speed cameras may operate without advance warning signs.

The different approaches demonstrate that the use of warning signs is ultimately a policy choice, even in jurisdictions with sophisticated road safety systems.

Another lesson from international practice concerns transparency.

In New South Wales, authorities publish the locations of fixed speed cameras and explain the road safety considerations behind their installation.

Such disclosures help motorists understand where enforcement is taking place and why particular roads have been selected.

For Ghana, publishing an accessible list or map of fixed Traffitech camera locations, together with the applicable speed limits, could improve public awareness and confidence.

This would not necessarily require the disclosure of mobile enforcement locations, which may change according to operational needs.

The objective would be to make fixed enforcement more transparent while preserving the ability of authorities to address dangerous driving across the wider road network.

The ultimate test of Traffitech will be whether it contributes to safer roads.

The number of speeding violations detected and fines imposed may provide useful enforcement data, but these figures alone cannot establish whether the system is achieving its road safety objectives.

A more comprehensive assessment would examine changes in vehicle speeds, compliance levels, road crashes, injuries and fatalities.

It would also consider whether enforcement locations have adequate signs, road markings and other safety infrastructure.

International experience suggests that advance warnings and automated enforcement need not be competing approaches. Both can contribute to a system designed to discourage dangerous driving and encourage compliance.

The challenge for Ghana is to ensure that the technology is supported by clear regulations, adequate infrastructure and transparent implementation.

The NRSA’s decision to restrict initial enforcement to roads with displayed speed limits, together with its directive for urgent improvements to road infrastructure, represents an acknowledgement of these concerns.

Its indication that advance camera warnings will be considered also opens the door to a broader discussion about the role of signage in automated traffic enforcement.

Ultimately, the success of Traffitech should not be judged solely by the number of motorists caught violating traffic regulations. It should be measured by the extent to which motorists change their behaviour, observe speed limits and contribute to a reduction in road crashes.

For Ghana, the most important question is not simply how many speeding motorists Traffitech can catch, but how many it can persuade to slow down before an accident occurs.