Abstract
Road traffic accident (RTA) is a growing critical issue globally, resulting in high casualties and fatalities, especially in developing countries. This study examines the magnitude and trend of RTA and the effectiveness of road traffic safety measures in Osun State, South West Nigeria. Data on road traffic accidents from 1992 to 2016 was obtained from Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) coupled with primary data acquired from 2,209 sampled households in six hierarchically selected cities through a multi-stage stratified random procedure. The study reveals a very high positive correlation (r = 0.97; p = 0.001) between road traffic accidents and the size of the cities. Trend analysis shows a gradual decline in accident and mortality rates but increasing injury rates. The study observed a relatively higher male involvement than females in RTA at the ratio of 3:1 and a relatively higher occurrence among civil servants (38.2%) and traders (27.6%) than other occupational groups. The study concludes that the incidence of road traffic accidents varies spatially, temporally, across gender and occupational divide and that safety measures employed do not have a significant impact in preventing its occurrence in the study area. It is recommended that safety culture should be encouraged among road users apart from strengthening the institutional framework responsible for transport safety.
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