Your broken-down car can be towed and auctioned under Ghana’s new road rules - here's what drivers must do

Nii Ayitey Brown 08:00 - 12 September 2026

A car being towed

Ghana’s new road traffic rules require vehicle owners to have towing cover and act immediately after a breakdown. Here is what happens before a vehicle can be towed, stored and eventually auctioned.

Drivers must have a towing subscription or insurance cover that includes towing and must act immediately after a vehicle breakdown.
The NRSA or MTTD can compulsorily tow an unattended vehicle and charge the cost to the owner.
A vehicle left unresolved can enter the auction process after 21 days, with seven days’ notice required before the sale.

Under Ghana’s new road traffic rules, a vehicle that breaks down on the road should be towed immediately or the road safety authorities will tow the vehicle immediately, with the owner paying the cost.

Previously, the law allowed a broken down vehicle up to 30 minutes or 1 hour to be towed. The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) says motorists must either subscribe to a towing service or have an insurance policy that includes towing cover.

The warning forms part of the nationwide public education on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153) and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) where Parliament approved L.I. 2519 on May 28, 2026.

The new regulations replace the previous Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) and introduce new rules covering road safety, vehicle registration, commercial transport and traffic enforcement.

What happens when your car breaks down

Under Regulation 127, the owner or person in charge of a disabled vehicle must take immediate steps to have it removed from the road. NRSA Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance Kwame Koduah Attuahene said the previous grace period for a broken-down vehicle has been removed.

NRSA Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance Kwame Koduah Attuahene

“Once your vehicle breaks down, the law now requires that immediately you must have it towed," he said.

In the case of a breakdown, the driver should take steps to deal with the danger of secondary accidents, including contacting the towing provider or insurer.

Here’s what to do

Step 1: Put out your warning triangles

Warning Triangle

A driver whose vehicle becomes disabled must place advance warning triangles at the front and rear of the vehicle to warn approaching motorists.

The driver must also contact the towing service provider or insurance company and give details such as the vehicle type and location.

Step 2: The towing provider must step in

After being notified, the towing service provider or insurer is expected to notify the nearest police post or the relevant regulatory authority and arrange for the vehicle to be removed.

Where a motorist fails to take the required steps and the vehicle remains a danger on the road, the NRSA or Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) can have it towed and charge the cost to the owner.

“If, for any reason, they are not towed immediately, the NRSA or the MTTD is duty-bound to tow immediately for public safety reasons and will surcharge you with the cost of towing,” Mr Attuahene said.

What happens to your towed vehicle?

A vehicle removed from the road is taken to a storage facility and according to the NRSA's explanation, the vehicle is initially kept for up to seven days, giving the owner an opportunity to reclaim it.

In a case where the owner does not act, the NRSA says the process will lead to a judicial auction to recover the towing cost.

The 21-day rule

The NRSA has said that an abandoned vehicle may be taken through the auction process after 21 days, provided the required procedures and public notices have been followed. Owners are also to receive seven days' notice before the sale.

“After 21 days, you will be auctioned. You have seven days’ notice before the sale. And where the sale is unsuccessful, the state will confiscate the vehicle and possibly scrap it,” Mr Attuahene said.

How much will towing cover cost?

Mr Attuahene said the cost was still being worked out and should be lower than what motorists sometimes pay for emergency towing. He cited cases where motorists could pay around GH¢2,000, depending on the circumstances.

“The comfort, however, should be that it should be far less than the two thousand,” he disclosed.

The NRSA says motorists will be allowed to choose their towing service provider instead of paying a single mandatory towing levy.

The new rule also covers vehicles disabled in road crashes. The key requirement is that vehicles that create a danger or obstruction should be removed from the road.

Here’s what to do to avoid losing your vehicle?

Make sure you have towing cover either through a towing subscription or an insurance policy that includes towing. When the vehicle breaks down, put out the warning triangles, contact your towing provider or insurer immediately and give the vehicle's location and details. If the vehicle is towed, find out where it has been taken and follow up quickly to reclaim it and settle any applicable towing charges. Failure to deal with the vehicle can result in compulsory towing and a surcharge to the owner.

The new rules are aimed at clearing disabled vehicles from roads quickly because they can become hazards and contribute to further crashes.