Uninsured Motorists’ Risk Attitudes and Pedestrian Road Safety: Evidence from Metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

With the increasing prevalence of uninsured vehicles in urban areas, motorists’ behaviours on pedestrian safety are crucial for developing effective road safety strategies. This study investigated the happenings around uninsured motorists’ risk attitudes and pedestrian road safety in metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria. Using the survey approach cum the two-way sampling techniques comprised of purposive and convenience, data were gathered to analyse the behavioural dispositions of uninsured motorists and their implications on pedestrian road safety. The study adopted a structured questionnaire as a research instrument for data collection from a sample population of 209. The data analytical employed was descriptive statistics comprised of simple frequency percentages presented in tabular form and bar chart description. Findings revealed, based on pedestrian opinions, that uninsured motorists display riskier driving behaviours, such speeding and reckless driving pattern; which was found prevalent among commercial uninsured motorists. In addition, insufficient implementation of insurance regulation and socio-economic factors contributed to the proliferation of uninsured vehicles. The study also showcased the descriptive analysis of uninsured motorists’ risk attitudes towards pedestrian road safety. Further finding presented a descriptive analysis of pedestrians’ road safety metrics on Lagos roads. Then, the study accentuates the urgent need for comprehensive policy intervention targeting uninsured motorists, including stricter application of insurance laws, public awareness campaigns, enhanced infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety in urban environment, like metropolitan, Lagos, Nigeria and in similar contexts in other African cities and beyond. Thus, insurance practitioners, especially motor insurance providers, should synergise their efforts to improve the accessibility and affordability of insurance for motorists, particularly, the low-income individuals; by creating flexible payment options, and subsidising insurance premiums. Lastly, local communities should engage with other stakeholders in the transport industry to ensure road safety culture, promoting responsible driving behaviour and encouraging compliance with insurance regulation