Journal of Applied Science and the Environment, Vol.

3, pp 25-29, 2012
ISSN: 2141-1360
2012 School of Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria.
25
ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN NIGERIA: CAUSES AND CONTROL
TT GUNGUL

Department of Tourism, School of Technology,
Federal Polytechnic, P.M.B. 1037, Idah.
Correspondence: tim4ana@yahoo.com
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

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
J. Appl. Sci. Environ., 3: 25-29, 2012 26
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 11
th
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 hydra-
headed 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. Tyre-
related 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
J. Appl. Sci. Environ., 3: 25-29, 2012 27

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 sub-
system 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 whose 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.

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
overtaking 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 important 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.

ROAD ACCIDENT PREVENTIVE
MEASURES
This section discussed the major issues of
preventing or measures generally taken to
curtail road traffic accidents.

Training and Retraining
The training and retraining of drivers
constitute a formidable means of effectively
dealing with the issue of road traffic accident
reduction. The road traffic system itself is
dynamic in nature. Therefore, the training and
retraining of operators of vehicles is a
necessity. This measure is the only means of
ensuring that operators entering or remaining
in action in the system are first endowed with
the necessary skills.

Engineering
This is one of the four strategies popularly
known by road safety practioners and scholars
as the FOUR Es. According to Sanders
(2010), engineering will normally focus on
those elements which deal with safer vehicles
and improved vehicle design. The real point
here is that engineering as a counter measure is
that it ensures that a high reliability is
achieved at the design stage and consequently
the occurrence of failure of the vehicle while
in operation is maintained.



J. Appl. Sci. Environ., 3: 25-29, 2012 28
Education
Education is another means of effectively
reducing road traffic accidents. Although it
was pointed out earlier on that Nigerian are
well aware of the factors that could cause road
traffic accidents. Education can prepare the
ground for more long term attitude and
behaviour changes and therefore, that road
safety education should start with pre-school
age groups and continue through a childs
formal education.

Enforcement
Traffic laws are promulgated by legislators
who seek to protect all users of the road
network. In order for the laws to have the
desired effects, they must be enforced by the
various law enforcement agencies fairly and
justly. Experience has shown that in countries
where enforcement has been adequately
provided for in all its ramifications, that road
traffic accidents have been well reduced.

Evaluation
Evaluation is a proven means of providing a
basis for remedial actions. Consequently, this
serves as another effective means of knowing
when and what kind of further actions needed
to be taken in order to achieve a visible
reduction in accident tallies.

Investigation
The proper investigation of accidents is yet
another rather effective means, though remote,
of achieving some reduction in accident. The
hypothesis here is that a driver who is aware
that the extent of his fault is an accident would
be revealed by a thorough investigation is
more likely to be careful.

Maintenance
Maintenance in all its ramifications is one of
the most effective preventive measures that
any individual or organization can take to
maximize the output of his, its accident
reduction / prevention programme. Any
maintenance programme which is expected to
make a meaningful and sufficient impact must
of necessity, address three major aspects
namely, the road network, the vehicle and the
driver.

Budgeting Issues
Budgeting is a major nuisance factors as it is
not within the control of the average road user.
Any maintenance programmes without an
adequate budget back-up is as good as the do
nothing solution option of the system
approach. Therefore a remote way of ensuring
accident reduction/prevention is for the
government, which is charged with the
responsibility for good maintenance to draw
up and implement to the later on regular basis,
budgets that match the demands of the road
network and its infrastructure.

The Operator/Driver
The driver himself is subject to physiological
wear and tear. Being the main actor in control
of the factors responsible for accidents, it is
absolutely that he be both physically and
mentally alert when operating the vehicle.
Consequently, the driver requires adequate
maintenance which may come in the form of
welfare scheme, health service programme,
retraining.

CONCLUSION
Factors that are most responsible for accident
on road transportation network have been
examined. The study also considered some of
the preventive measures needed to reduce the
present unacceptable high tallies of accidents
on the Nigerian highways. The vehicle, the
driver, the road and its environment are among
the factors that increasingly cause road
accidents in Nigeria. Measures to reduce the
rate of road traffic accidents have also been
highlighted.

Recommendations
Privately owned mass transit operators should,
as a matter of high priority, introduce and
operate comprehensive maintenance and repair
programme for their vehicles. The Operators
(driver) should be properly trained and then
retrained. Transit organization should operate
adequate and comprehensive welfare scheme
for their employees in general and for the
drivers in particular, since the lives of all
passengers are in their hands. As a matter of
necessity, some of the latest scientific
techniques for determining extremely
productive schedules for the drivers should
now be utilized as the organizations in
question have technically out-grown the use of
trial and error schemes for addressing such
problems. There is need for the various
government to pay sufficient attention to the
maintenance of all roads in the federation.
J. Appl. Sci. Environ., 3: 25-29, 2012 29
Furthermore, the provision of adequate
drainage system is one that calls for urgent
attention.

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