Prevalence and predictors of speeding in two Ghanaian cities: Implications for road safety improvement

Globally, about 1.19 million people died from road traffic injuries in 2021, of which more than 90% occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Every 1% increase in speed results in a 4% likelihood of a fatal crash and a 3% risk of a serious crash. The study aimed to establish the prevalence and predictors of speeding in two Ghanaian cities–Accra and Kumasi–across six rounds of data collection between 2022 and 2024. Microwave radar guns were used to unobtrusively observe vehicle speeds from 15 sites per city. Every site was observed for five daily sessions, for two weekdays and one weekend per data collection round. The prevalence of speeding was comparatively higher in Accra than in Kumasi (54% vs. 31%). Speeding generally decreased over the observation rounds for both cities with significant differences across the rounds ( p < 0.001). When adjusted for vehicle, driver and environmental factors, speeding in both cities was more likely among young drivers, male drivers, SUVs, motorcycles, and sedans ( p < 0.05). Other speeding predictors included company-owned vehicles and weekends (p < 0.05). Empirical evidence from the study is useful for designing strategies to improve road safety in urban Ghana.