Department of Tourism, School of Technology,
Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria
Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Road traffic
accidents constituted a menace in modern times. Both the developed and the developing
nations of the world have suffered from varying degrees of road accident, the developing
countries clearly dominate with Nigeria topping the least of accident
occurrence. This paper examines road traffic accident problems in Nigeria.
Consideration is also given to the present status of planning, implementation
and evaluation of road safety programmes whether satisfactory or
unsatisfactory. The causes of accidents and their general preventive measures
are discussed. The methodology adopted includes desk research and primary data
collection which seek information on the level of road accident as well as
possible preventive measure by operators of road transportation system.
Recommendations as how to reduce road traffic accident menace are offered for
improved road safety in Nigeria.
Keywords: Road
accident, Nigeria, causes, control, vehicle, health, prevention, safety
INTRODUCTION
Road accidents
have taken away so many lives in Nigeria today that hardly does any single disease
match its mortality rate. This is only one of many adverse consequences of road
accidents which also cause a lot of injures as well as economic losses in all
its ramifications. Before we can adopt a course of actions to reduce the number
of severity of roads accidents we need a large amount of data which have to be
analyzed and interpreted. Some of these obtained for this purpose include data
on number and severity of accidents, time of accidents, contributory factors,
location of accidents, time of accidents and vehicle types involved. Scholars
and practioners in the area of road traffic accident have long recognized and addressed
various aspects of this problem as typified by the works on accidents data and analysis,
safety programme, planning and implementation, safety programme evaluation, lessons
from developed countries, experiences in developing countries and insurance and
legal aspects (Ikya, 1998). This paper focused on the causes of accidents and
their general preventive measures. In particular, it will place more emphasis
on the Nigeria situation in recognition of the effect of accidents on the
public and private vehicles. The paper outlines and discusses the major causes
of road traffic accidents, identify possible preventive measures which have
been found to be useful in accident prevention and reduction. Recommendations
to check and bring road traffic accident to the barest minimum.
ROAD TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS
Road accidents
do not simply happen, they are caused. Given the fact that Nigeria has the highest
road accidents rate as well as the largest number of death per 10,000 vehicles,
(Sheriff, 2009),
one may be tempted to believe that the level of awareness on the causes of road
traffic accidents is very low among Nigerians. On the contrary, however, Asalor
(2010) has shown
that ‘Nigerians know quite a lot about what could cause road traffic accidents’
and likened the situation to that ‘in which in the midst of plenty, there could
be hunger’. Accident is defined as anything which happens by chance, anything
occurring unexpectedly and undesigned, Odugbemi (2010). Road traffic accident
is therefore an unexpected phenomenon that occurs as a result of the use or
operation of vehicles including bicycles and handcarts on the public highways
and roads. Accidents may be fatal, resulting in deaths of the road users
(passengers, drivers or pedestrians), or minor when it is not severe enough as
to cause substantial hardship. The dividing line between minor and serious accident
is however blurred. As it has been defined, accident would rarely give warning
although reckless drivers should anticipate the consequences of their recklessness.
In general, accidents do not just occur; they are basically brought about by human
recklessness, carelessness or negligence. Even where the immediate cause of a
road accident is attributable to mechanical factor, carelessness in the form of
omission to check and maintain the vehicle at the appropriate time would have
remotely contributed. Trivial checking and maintenance of the vehicles could
avert an imminent accident.
In the ancient
Roman Empire, road transport owners / operators in the 11th century must provide
a slave who will carry a red flag to warn other road users that a motor car is coming
and leave the road space to avoid possible road accident (Jacobs, 2010). Today the
car has a faster speed and the need to incorporate gadgets like, the horn, braking
system, traficators, headlights and break-lights to avoid road accident. Before
the ‘Oil boom’ in Nigeria, road accidents were rather rare. The oil boom brought
along with it ‘rapid’ industrialization which calls for improved accessibility.
Roads were therefore built albeit without dire attentions to standard. As the
disposable income of people grew vehicle ownership increased. According to
Sheriff, (2009), all these developments were not matched by adequate measures
and control. Consequently, the roads grew to be a death trap for Nigerian citizens.
These are indirect factors of road accident in Nigeria.
CAUSES OF ROAD
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
The issue of
road traffic accidents is one that requires great care in handling as it is
hydraheaded
in nature. The
major causes of road traffic accidents could be classified under the following
sub-headings.
a. Vehicle related factors
b. Human related factors
c. Environment-related factors
Vehicle Related
Issues
According to
Ovuwori et al., (2010), tyres, engines, braking system and lights system
are among vehicle subsystems which malfunction can cause road accidents. The
vehicle itself is a component of the road traffic system. Consequently its
reliability is positively correlated with accident causation on the road network
it plies. The reliability of the vehicle is itself a function of the condition
of vehicle.
Attempt is made
to discuss the following vehicular issues which are usually responsible for a
number of the accidents on Nigerian roads.
Vehicle Design
Every vehicle is
designed for a specific maximum load in all its ramifications. It is therefore,
not surprising that when subjected to stress over and above the provisions of
the design specifications, accelerated wear and tear set in on the vehicles.
The net effect of this could result in deterioration for the condition of the
vehicle. Design defects affect the subsequent condition of the vehicle once it is
put on the road and operated either normally or otherwise which may result to
possible road accidents.
The Vehicle Body
The
body attribute to some measure in causing road traffic accidents; though
less prominent is the firmness of the structure of the vehicle. Hanging
parts of the body of a vehicle though rare can greatly affect the
stability and hence the level of control by the operator.
The Brake System
The brake
subsystem, working jointly with the accelerator is the main synchronizer of the
speeds of vehicles. Any malfunctioning of the brake sub-system should be taken very
seriously as a potential source of unavoidable accident.
The Vehicle
Tyres
The tyre is a
dominant factor in determining the safety of automobiles on the road.
Tyrerelated causes of road accidents could be due to one or a combination of:
i. Tyre(s) (are)
overinflated
ii. Thread are
thoroughly worn-out
iii. Tyre(s) is
(are) ‘pregnant’ and
iv. Tyre(s) is
(are) rear peel-off
The Vehicle
Lights
Vehicle lights
fall into two broad categories, namely those that are useful at all times (i.e.
in daylight, in darkness and in poor weather) e.g. headlights. Although it is
well known that the failure of vehicle light is a major factor in road traffic
accident. As pointed out by Adiele (2011), light failure (e.g. of one
headlight) has a tendency to misinform and mislead other road users thereby
providing a good
opportunity for
an accident to occur. Similarly, a
failed trafficator light will not normally
provide the
usual warning to the rest of the followers that the vehicle is about to
undertake
a turning
maenovour, for instance. If the vehicle following has a faulty brake subsystem
or its operator
has not allowed for a sufficient safe-gap, this could result in an accident.
The
Engine
The
engine sub-system may be considered the head of the vehicle and one who’s
sudden failure on a highway is more likely to cause an accident if the volume
of traffic is sufficiently high. Even when the traffic is reasonably low, mis-management
of the failure by an experienced operator could cause an accident
Human
and Environmental / Road Related Issues
Some
of the well known factors which fall under this category include fog, sunrays,
mist and rain. These in no small measure contribute greatly to the rate of road
traffic accident in Nigeria today. In particular it is expected that the
operator who is the master ‘on board’ should be able to exercise sufficient
control over the vehicle. A significant number of vehiclar accidents are traceable
to the road. Recent studies (Asolor et al, 2008) have demonstrated that the
road is another major factor in road accidents in Nigeria. Akinyemi, (2009)
collected and analyzed ‘data on geometric design information system, roadway
surface and road side conditions on seven two lane rural roads in the country.
It found that rural roads in the country have low levels of design consistency,
sight distance on and between geometer features as insufficient for stopping
and oveNRSking adequate traffic control devices and unforgiving road sides’. He
then argues that their deficiencies are due largely to inadequate road design
specification and maintenance. Anyata (2009) on the other hand showed that inadequate
drainage could render the road a serious accident threat. Another aspect of the
road factor is the general condition of the road itself. Issues of potholes,
the indiscriminate location of police check points and the reluctance of the
appropriate authorities to continually improve on the condition of the roads
are significant in road accidents.
Driver
Related Factors
Studies
have shown clearly that the single most impoNRSnt contributing factor to road traffic
accidents in Nigeria is the attitude of the driver to driving code and
etiquette. Driver related issues include sleepiness and fatigue, faulty
preparation, ignorance of highway codes or traffic orders, driving under the influence
of drugs and or alcohol and inexperience.
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