Driving in Accra is its own skill. The traffic, the junctions and the state of some roads catch out newcomers and test people who have driven here for years. Ten things that make it easier and keep you out of trouble.
Carry your papers
Keep your licence, insurance and roadworthiness certificate in the car. Police checkpoints are common, and being short a document turns a two-minute stop into a long one.
Avoid the peak hours
The roads choke in the morning and again in the evening. If you can travel outside the worst of it, a trip that takes an hour in the jam can take twenty minutes.
Watch the road surface
Potholes appear fast, and some roads flood in the rainy season. Slow down over water you cannot see the bottom of, and give the edges of the road room.
Use a map app
Google Maps handles navigation and shows the traffic, and GhanaPost GPS helps you find an exact address when there is no street sign. Set your route before you move off.
Expect trotros to stop suddenly
A trotro will pull over the moment a passenger calls a stop, without much warning. Keep your distance behind one and do not assume it will hold its lane.
Take junctions slowly
Many are unmarked, and traffic lights are sometimes off. You get through on patience and eye contact, not on right of way, so do not force it.
Plan your parking
In town you will often pay an attendant or a pay-and-display. Lock the car, take your valuables, and do not leave anything on show.
Keep fuel above a quarter tank
Stations are everywhere, but sitting in traffic burns more than you expect, and you do not want to be low on the wrong road at the wrong hour.
Be careful at night
Some roads are poorly lit, and pedestrians, cyclists and the odd stray animal appear late. Slow down and give yourself room to react.
Lock up in slow traffic
Keep your doors locked and your phone and bag out of sight when you are crawling along, the same care you would take in any crowd.
None of this is hard once it is habit. Give yourself more time than the distance suggests, and the drive stops feeling like a fight.
