ANALYSIS OF ROAD CRASHES AND ASSOCIATED BURDEN IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA.

Olawole, M.O.* and Oladepo, O.

This study analysed the pattern of road traffic crashes in Ondo State between 2005 and 2014. It also examined the causal factors of road crashes and associated socio-economic burden in the study area. The study employed data from secondary and primary sources. The secondary data on road traffic crashes for 2005-2014 were collected from Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Ondo State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select four cities and samples for the administration of two sets of questionnaires (drivers/riders and crash victims). A sample size of 5% of registered drivers/riders and 50% accident victims on admission in hospitals were selected in the four cities for questionnaire administration. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that road crashes increased by 455% between 2005 and 2014, serious and fatal crashes increased by 600% each during the same period. The results also showed that leading causes of road crashes in the study area were due to human error (dangerous driving, overtaking and violation of speed limit), mechanical failure and environmental influence. The results further showed that socio-economic burden of crashes in the area results into waste of working hours in the hospital, and medical costs on both crash victims and relatives. About 37% and 32.8% of the crash victims spent ten and five days respectively in the hospitals and average medical cost per victim in government owned hospital was at most twenty thousand naira (N20,000). The study concluded that road crashes caused loss of life, loss of time and money on treatment for the affected people in the area.The study also offers possible strategies towards the reduction of road crashes and management of the crash related socio-economic burden in the state and elsewhere in Nigeria.

Key words: Burden, Crashes, Nigeria, Ondo, Road.