Public Attention to Traffic Informatics in a Major Nigerian City

Abstract

A 2011 WHO report listed Nigeria as 191 out of 192 countries in the world with unsafe roads; recording 162 deaths per 100,0000 population from road traffic accidents. Highway safety in Nigeria has remained a grave challenge since most Nigerian roads are often considered death traps. The state of infrastructure in the country is worrisome and it is arguable that road traffic accidents are responsible for a high percentage of deaths in the country. It is also arguable that the greater responsibility for road safety rests on road users who for the love of their own lives should exhibit high sense of road safety consciousness to avoid falling victims. While many Nigerian roads are equipped with traffic informatics including traffic lights, road signs and others, the rate of fatalities recorded remain high suggesting that road users do not pay attention to traffic informatics. The objectives of the study were (1) to determine whether road users in a major Nigerian urban city consider traffic informatics as important for road safety; (2) to determine the extent these city road users pay attention to traffic informatics; and, (3) to assess road use behavior among these road users. Our results suggested that attention to traffic informatics among city road users was low. Keywords: Road Traffic, Road User, Road Safety, Traffic Informatics, “General Street Madness” DOI : 10.7176/JAAS/56-08 Publication date :June 30 th 2019