Accra: On March 3, 2026, during a road safety sensitisation exercise at a transport terminal in Accra with officials of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), a simple question about speeding produced a response that was both amusing and deeply troubling.
According to Ghana News Agency, the conversation highlighted a disturbing reality for many commercial drivers in Ghana. Especially in trotros, taxis, and long-distance buses, speed is not measured by a functioning dashboard but by instinct, road familiarity, engine sound, and sometimes-as that driver boldly admitted-the feel and whispers of the wind. This dangerous normalization of negligence continues to threaten lives daily on Ghana's roads.
A quick ride in many public transport vehicles reveals a common problem: faulty dashboards. Broken speedometers, dead fuel gauges, weak brake indicators, and malfunctioning warning lights are often treated as minor inconveniences rather than serious safety threats. Passengers may notice the problem, but few complain. Drivers, on the other hand, often insist that experience is enough to take them to their destination. Some say they have taken the same route for years and can 'feel' the right speed. Others rely on engine sound, lightness of the vehicle, or the movement of nearby vehicles. But road safety experts insist that speed cannot be left to guesswork.
The NRSA has consistently identified speeding, wrongful overtaking, drink-driving, and driver fatigue as major contributors to road crashes across the country. Ahead of the Easter festivities, the NRSA intensified public education and enforcement exercises across major highways to reduce crashes during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The campaign, undertaken in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, covered the country's major routes on major highways, targeting high-risk corridors before, during, and after Easter.
Mr. Gabriel Adu-Sarpong, Deputy Director of Research at the NRSA, warned that speeding remained one of the leading causes of road crashes in Ghana. He identified speeding, inattentiveness, and loss of control as the top three contributors to road traffic crashes in Ghana. Data from the Ghana Police Service indicated that about 90 percent of road traffic crashes were due to human error, with speeding accounting for between 38 and 40 percent. Speed-related factors contributed to nearly 60 percent of crashes, implying that about six out of every ten crashes were linked to speeding.
At another sensitisation exercise at the Kasoa Toll Booth, Mr. Joshua Quist, Greater Accra Regional Director of the NRSA, said preliminary data indicated a worrying increase in deaths within the first month of the year, underscoring the urgent need for behavioral change among road users. Preliminary data showed a worrying increase in fatalities, with deaths rising significantly from 261 in January 2025 to 383 in January 2026, despite intensified education and enforcement efforts. He noted that behavioral change among drivers was urgently needed.
One of the major concerns is that many drivers either do not know the lawful speed limits or choose to ignore them. Under Ghana's road traffic regulations, speed limits are clearly defined depending on the type of road and environment. The NRSA continues to caution drivers to stay within these limits because speed, once lost to poor judgment, is difficult to recover from in emergencies.
The issue of faulty speedometers extends beyond poor maintenance to the territory of legality. The Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), gives clear powers to vehicle examiners, authorised inspectors, and police officers to inspect vehicles suspected to be defective. This means that a commercial vehicle operating with critical dashboard failures, including a non-functional speedometer, may reasonably fall within concerns of roadworthiness if it affects safe driving.
The question then becomes: if the risk is obvious, why do drivers continue to operate defective vehicles? The answers are often in the area of economics. For many commercial drivers, every day off the road means lost income. Repairs cost money, and vehicle owners sometimes prioritize daily sales over maintenance. Others accept defects as normal because enforcement is weak and roadside inspections are inconsistent. At some transport terminals, station managers focus more on loading fees and departure schedules than on pre-departure checks.
Passengers are often the unseen victims in this cycle. Many board vehicles without knowing whether the brakes are weak, the tyres are worn out, or the speedometer is dead. They trust the driver, the station, and the system. Yet when crashes happen, it is passengers who often pay the highest price.
The responsibility also lies with institutions. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the MTTD, transport unions, and station managers must strengthen routine inspections and ensure that unfit vehicles are removed from the road. Road safety campaigns should not be seasonal exercises reserved for festive periods. They must be continuous, visible, and backed by enforcement. Drivers must stop normalizing mechanical neglect. Transport owners must understand that maintenance is not optional. And authorities must ensure that the law is not merely written but applied.
Because road crashes are not always accidents. Many begin with ignored warnings. Sometimes, they begin with a broken speedometer. And sometimes, with a driver who believes the whisper of the wind is enough.