SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ALONG HIGHWAYS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.

Lawal, A.M.¹*, Okere, D.C.² and Akpu, B.³

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are often found to follow some spatial and temporal patterns as the factors that influence road accident changes with space and time. The aim of the paper is to analyze the spatio-temporal variation in road traffic accidents along Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highways in Kaduna state. The study used road traffic accident records between years 2010 to 2014 from Federal Road Safety Corps and google earth satellite imagery. Handheld GPS was used to acquire the absolute location of road traffic accident. Descriptive statistics and Average Nearest Neighbour statistical tool in ArcGIS 10.1 was used to analyze the data. The results of the analysis revealed that 336 accidents were recorded along the two routes, with 66% recorded along the Kaduna-Abuja road while 34% occurred on the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road. The nearest neighbour index (0.135 and 0.229) showed a clustered pattern of road traffic accidents distribution along Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highways respectively. The temporal analysis revealed a clear seasonal variation in the occurrence of accidents on the routes. Most of the accidents occurred during festive months. Also the highest RTAs were recorded in 2011 for both routes with 37.8% along Kaduna-Abuja while 47.4% accounted for Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road. Strict enforcement of safety measures like drivers’ use of speed limit devices among others and public education programme by FRSC on road safety especially during festive periods is recommended.

Key words: Accident, Nearest neighbour ratio, Road traffic.