Traffic safety violations in relation to drivers’ educational attainment, training and experience in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

This paper investigated the influence of three distinct variables; driver educational attainment, driving experience, and form of driver training on drivers’ self-reported attitudes towards the frequency of commission of traffic safety violations in Kumasi, Ghana. A total of 285 participants were sampled from public transport terminals, work places, market places and other social centres within the Kumasi Metropolis using both interviewer-administered and self-administered questionnaires. The results of the study showed that there were small but yet significant associations between driver education, driver training and driving experience on the one hand, and the frequency of violation of traffic safety laws on the other hand. The mean frequency of commission of traffic violations increased with increasing driver experience whilst the frequency of violation of traffic regulations on speeding and overtaking when prohibited decreased with increasing education in Kumasi. Drivers trained from driving schools reported an overall higher mean frequency of commission of traffic violations compared to other drivers interviewed. Plausible explanations and implications of the study’s results on traffic safety campaigns in Ghana as well as methodological issues have been discussed. Based on the results of the study, this paper strongly recommends targeted and more tailored traffic safety behaviour change campaigns combined with a strict enforcement of traffic safety regulations in the country.