Speeding remains leading cause of traffic fatalities – Police

Speeding continues to be the leading cause of fatal accidents in Guyana, despite ongoing efforts to curb reckless driving, according to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
During a recent televised programme, Inspector Sherwin Henry of the GPF Traffic Headquarters’ Education Section, explained that while there has been a reduction in road fatalities to date in 2025, excessive speed remains a serious issue.
“Speeding is still one of the main contributing factors for the accident, right? And we continue to do our educational and enforcement rights targeting speeding,” Henry stated.
Efforts to control speeding have included the use of speed monitors, which Henry said have had some positive effects.

“…we have our speed monitor up there, if you’re noticing the speed monitor. And you could see that person, their cognisance of the [speed] they were above and they’re reducing, and it’s working well. And we call that self-enforcement, in that people can monitor themselves. And we could see that person, indeed, they’re reducing because they are fully aware of the speed limit of the road,” he said.
Police officials have also implemented more frequent roadblocks and speed checks, particularly in accident-prone areas, to deter drivers from exceeding speed limits.
However, despite these efforts, speeding remains a persistent problem, especially along major highways and urban centres where traffic flow is heavy.
So far in 2025, there have been nine fatal accidents resulting in nine deaths, compared to 10 accidents and 13 deaths during the same period in 2024.
As part of ongoing efforts to reduce road fatalities, new speed clocks are also being installed across major highways in Guyana, to support the implementation of an E-ticketing system.
The system, announced by Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC, is expected to be operational soon, and will use electronic monitoring to record vehicle speeds and generate traffic tickets automatically.
Recent amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act have paved the way for the use of 24-hour surveillance cameras on major roads, aimed at deterring speeding and other traffic violations, as the country experiences rapid development and an increase in vehicles on the road.
The transition from a manual to an electronic system is expected to enhance enforcement, improve road safety, and hold drivers accountable through a more efficient and transparent legal process.
Authorities believe that this modernised approach will serve as a strong deterrent against speeding and other reckless driving behaviours that have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.