Abstract
The work is an attempt to assess the level of compliance by motorists to seat belt regulation in Nigeria. Specifically it evaluates the seat belts usage rates along Enugu- Port Harcourt, ENUPHC and Port Harcourt- Enugu, PHC-ENU traffic corridors based on vehicle type and front seat occupants. Data was collected from two sites at Osisioma junction in Aba Abia state, Nigeria by direct observations at designated points. The findings of the observation were treated with percentage analysis where each category of vehicle is treated separately with percentage table analysis. Results on the road side observation survey of seat belt use revealed that wearing seat belt along Enugu- Port Harcourt, ENU-PHC and Port Harcourt- Enugu, PHC-ENU traffic corridor is very low. The overall wearing rate for the aforementioned routes was 24.8%, 26.0% and 23.8% for all occupants, drivers and front seat passengers respectively. It is concluded that the overall wearing rates were consistently higher for drivers than for front seat passengers in most vehicle categories and routes sampled. Thus we recommend that the enforcement officials pay close attention to taxis, buses, luxury buses, pickup/vans, trucks and articulated vehicle occupants who tend to significantly show lower seat belt use since this can save more lives when these types of vehicles get involved in traffic crashes.
Highlights
The Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act (2007), part II, section 10 (4) mandates members of the Corp to arrest and prosecute persons reasonably suspected of having committed any traffic offence including driving a vehicle not fitted with seat belt or where fitted, not wearing same while the vehicle is in motion; while the National Road Transport Regulation 2012, part XII, 126 (1) stipulates that every vehicle shall have fitted in the Front and REAR SEATS, seat belts and child safety seats which shall be securely worn by the driver and THE OTHER OCCUPANTS of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion
The field observation method was used to have a better picture of what happens on the aforementioned routes.The survey method is suitable enough to capture the compliance rate of front seat vehicle occupants with the Federal Road Safety Commission regulation on seat belt use coupled with some other factors that might militate against its use
Two hundred and sixty four (264) passengers were observed to use the seat belt while two hundred and eighteen (218) were not using seat belts which represented 20.4% and 16.9% respectively of the passenger occupant surveyed in this category. This implies that the compliance level of front seat with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) seat belt regulation in this category is average since the number of seat belt usage among the drivers and passenger occupant are higher than the non-users of seat belt for both driver and passenger occupants surveyed
Summary
A seatbelt is designed to protect the occupants of a vehicle against any dangerous movement in the event of a crash or sudden stop. A seatbelt reduces the severity or even the possibility of an injury in a crash by preventing the occupants from colliding with interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers. It keeps occupants positioned correctly for maximum safety, and prevents them from being ejected from the vehicle. Seatbelts have been adjudged the most single traffic safety device for preventing death and injuries
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