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There has been a disturbing trend on our roads in recent times. One that is putting thousands of lives at risk without many realizing the danger. More and more drivers are intentionally tinting or spraying their vehicle’s tail lights with dark films or black spray paint. While some may argue it enhances the “look” of the vehicle, the consequences are far more dangerous. In truth, this practice is turning our roads into silent death traps.
I nearly crashed a vehicle ahead of me at Dzorwulu traffic light on the N1 because I did not see through his tail light that he was braking. His tail lights had been darkened to the point of invisibility. No warning, no signal, just sudden danger. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. I have seen dozens of cars like his. This is becoming the norm.
Tail lights are not decorative accessories. They are fundamental safety tools. They communicate with other road users, signaling when a driver is slowing down, changing lanes, or turning. Without them, a driver is essentially silent on the road. Now imagine what happens when that silence spreads, when hundreds, even thousands of vehicles no longer “speak” to those behind them. The answer is simple: crashes, injuries, and death.
Unfortunately, this trend thrives because enforcement is weak and awareness is low. Many vehicle owners believe modifying tail lights is a harmless form of customization. But it’s not harmless when people can’t see that you’re stopping. It’s not harmless when your tinted lights cause a motorcyclist to rear-end your car in the dark. It’s not harmless when a mother loses her child in a preventable traffic accident.
The statistics should terrify us into action. From January to April 2025 alone, the National Road Safety Authority reported more than 4,700 crashes on our roads. Over 1,000 people died, and 5,591 sustained injuries. These are not just numbers, they are real people. Friends, fathers, sisters, children. How many of these accidents could have been prevented with clearer visibility? How many were caused by modifications that were meant to impress, but ended up destroying lives?
This is a call to action. To the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), this is a practice that must not be allowed to fester. To the National Road Safety Authority, now is the time to ramp up education campaigns that target this specific issue. And to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), a car with blacked-out tail lights should not pass any inspection, let alone receive roadworthy certificate.
But most of all, this is a call to drivers. You may think it’s just a style. You may think no one will notice. But someone might not notice your brake lights, and that someone might end up dead. Is it worth it?
Road safety isn’t just the responsibility of the authorities. It belongs to all of us. We must start treating every decision on the road as a matter of life and death because often, it is. Let’s stop tinting our tail lights. Let’s stop driving blind. And let’s stop endangering others for the sake of appearance.
The roads are already dangerous enough. Let’s not make them darker.
This is a call to stakeholders to act swiftly to help curb this dangerous act on our roads.
Frank Agyei-Monney
Certified Driver Instructor and Road Safety Advocate
Email: frankagyeimonney@gmail.com
