Background Each year about 1.35 million road traffic deaths occur worldwide of which low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for over 90%. In 2021, the Ashanti Region in Ghana recorded the highest proportion (21%) of all road traffic deaths with speeding identified as a major road safety risk factor. No previous speed studies have been carried out in the city of Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, to understand factors affecting vehicular speeding and this current study comes to fill-in the gap.

Objective To determine the characteristics and factors affecting speeding in the city of Kumasi, Ghana.

Methods Seven rounds of data were collected between 2020 and 2023 in Kumasi, Ghana. Cross-sectional observations of vehicle speeds were made with microwave radar guns at 15 randomly selected locations using standardized data collection instruments developed by Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH IIRU), USA. Each study location was monitored for two weekdays and one weekend from 7:15am to 7:00pm in 5 sessions of 90-minute durations.

Results Of the 384,180 observed vehicles, speeding prevalence was 32.4% and excessive speeding (>10 km/h over posted speed) was 16.1%. Speeding generally increased from 29.0% in 2020 to 34.7% during round seven in 2023 with significant differences across the rounds (p< 0.001). After adjusting for other factors, excessive speeding was found among male drivers (aOR: 1.15), adult drivers aged 25 to 59 years (aOR:1.31), private- and government-owned vehicles (aOR: 2.55), ride-share (aOR:1.72) and taxis (aOR:1.57), on collector/distributor roads (aOR: 2.91), arterial roads (aOR:1.32), roads with median (aOR:11.25) and on weekends (aOR:1.34). Other predictors of excessive speeding include pickups/light trucks, sedan and SUVs, early mornings (7:30 am – 9:00am) and in dry/no rain weather conditions.

Conclusion Speeding is generally high in Kumasi. The findings strongly support the need for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral intervention plan by the city’s Road Safety Advisory Board to combat speeding in Kumasi.