7.2 Breakdowns, Warning Triangles & In-Drive Failures

7.2 Breakdowns, Warning Triangles & In-Drive Failures

Quick Answer: If your car breaks down, move off the carriageway if possible and switch on hazard warning lights. Under Regulation 108 of the Road Traffic Regulations 2026 (L.I. 2519), detached warning devices for a stationary car must be placed at suitable points not less than 45 metres in front of and behind it. Use the safest visible positions and keep people clear of traffic. For an in-drive failure, keep steering control and slow progressively.

When the Vehicle Stops: The Breakdown Drill

A stationary vehicle on a live carriageway is one of the most dangerous objects on Ghana's roads, especially at night or just over a crest. The Highway Code drill has three steps, in order:

1. Move the vehicle off the carriageway if it can still roll or be pushed — onto a safe shoulder or lay-by. A vehicle left in a traffic lane endangers everyone.
2. Switch on the hazard warning lights immediately, and leave them on. At night, if the vehicle must remain partly on the road, also leave the sidelights or parking lights on so it is visible.
3. Set out the warning devices. For a stationary car using detached devices, Regulation 108 requires them at suitable points not less than 45 metres in front of and behind the car. The regulation allows a pair of triangles or reflective cones, or specified lights or beacons; attached-device cases differ. The 2022 Ghana Driver’s Guide also illustrates a 45-metre warning distance, but the current regulation sets it as a minimum. On a fast road, choose a safe, visible position farther away where necessary. Read the reproduced text of Regulation 108 (legal publisher).

Keep passengers out of the carriageway, well away from moving traffic, while you wait for help. If you break down where the vehicle cannot be seen in time — on a bend or the brow of a hill — the triangle must go far enough back to be visible before the hazard itself.

Practice check: For a stationary car with detached warning devices, 45 metres is a minimum, and suitable positions are needed both in front and behind. A proposed 10- or 20-metre placement is too close. Put your own safety first when accessing the roadside.

Failures While Driving: The Correct Responses

The exam repeatedly asks, "If X fails while you are driving, what should you do?" Each failure has a drilled answer. Memorise the table, then read the reasoning below it.

Brake Failure

If the pedal goes to the floor, pump it rapidly — this can rebuild hydraulic pressure. At the same time change down through the gears so engine braking slows the vehicle, and apply the handbrake progressively (firmly but gradually, not in one violent yank, or the rear wheels may lock and skid). Steer toward a safe, open place — a verge or an uphill slope if one is available. Never switch off the ignition while still moving in traffic: in many vehicles that locks the steering and kills power assistance exactly when you need control most.

Tire Blowout

A blowout snatches the steering and makes the car pull toward the failed tire. Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands and hold the vehicle straight. Ease off the accelerator and let the vehicle lose speed on its own, then steer gently to the side and coast to a stop. Never brake hard — sudden braking on a shredded tire throws the weight forward and can spin the vehicle. This pairing — "grip, ease off, coast" versus "brake hard" — is a classic exam trap.

Engine Overheating

Rising temperature gauge or steam from the bonnet means pull over and switch off the engine. Then wait. Never open the radiator cap while the engine is hot: the cooling system is pressurized, and removing the cap releases scalding steam and coolant that can cause severe burns. Only when the engine has cooled should you check the coolant level — and top up slowly.

Sticking Accelerator

If the throttle jams open, disconnect the engine from the wheels: press the clutch on a manual car or select neutral on an automatic. The engine will race, but the vehicle stops accelerating. Then brake firmly and steer to a safe stop before switching off the engine.

Headlight Failure at Night

If both headlights fail in the dark, switch on the hazard warning lights, slow down smoothly, and pull off the road to a safe stop. Do not continue at speed hoping street lighting or moonlight will do — you are nearly invisible to other road users and cannot see hazards ahead.