Statistical Analysis Of Road Accidents (A Case In Enugu State From 1993 TO 2000)

Statistical Analysis Of Road Accidents (A Case In Enugu State From 1993 To 2000)

1.0 Overview

In the modern world, transportation—defined as the movement of people, goods, and passengers from one stage to another or the movement of commuters, their goods, produce, and products, as well as themselves—has played a significant role in the development process, serving as one of the structural indicators of social and economic development’s progress. It creates space for business transactions to occur, gives our goods, produce, and manufactured items a market, and enables them to reach their intended consumer(s).

Before the inter-American highway was built, for instance, moving beef cattle on the hoof from grazing grounds to San Jose frequently resulted in a weight loss of 40%, and imports were required to meet local demands. However, a weather highway made it possible to ship truck-traider cattle units over night, allowing Costa Rica to become self-sufficient in food. Additionally in Bolivia, the roadway between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz shortened travel times during the rainy season from several weeks to fifteen hours and connected the populace to the nation’s food sources. Due to the high expense of transportation, domestic rice was previously priced at 50% more than imported rice. Furthermore, since transportation is a crucial component of the country’s production and distribution system, it must be developed, improved, and given a better network structure in order to meet the needs of both the domestic and global markets.

Because it encourages the accumulation of capital, which enables the economy to advance from the subsistence level at which the majority of production is consumed locally, this is of particular importance during the early phases of economic development. As a result, government programs like education and health care must compete with transportation for public funds, especially in developing nations.

From the aforementioned, it can be seen that industrialized countries are efficient and successful in the transport industry due to improvement and technical growth over time.

Nigeria has one of the most advanced and well-developed transportation systems, with roads, rails, airplanes, and in-land waterways connecting the nation’s industrial, commercial, and agricultural hubs. In other words, there are four main modes of transportation in Nigeria: land, air, rail, and water. However, the researcher focuses exclusively on road transportation in this study.

Roads in Nigeria’s road network are divided into three categories: truck A roads, which are the responsibility of the federal government; truck B roads, which are the responsibility of the state government; and truck C roads, which are the local government’s obligation. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians utilize truck A, truck B, and truck C highways to transport people, goods, produce, and products, or to get to, conduct business with, and communicate with another location. In addition to being the least expensive mode of transportation, road transportation also offers delivery of goods and door-to-door transport services.

The concern of any well-organized government is how to identify and minimize (if possible curb) the high rate of accidents on our roads today. However, aside from road congestion, which is a symptom of the availability of insufficient road space to satisfy, with some difficulty, all demands made upon it, road accidents are another difficult task in traffic management schemes.

We are aware of the current statistics on the number of fatalities on the roads. This calls into question the importance we give to human life and property. It is evident from reasoning and observations that certain persons have a higher rate of accidents than others. This study will look at why that is the case and propose recommendations to stop the negative tendencies. People who drive carelessly or dangerously put others at risk and are more likely to experience accidents. They are a nuisance to society as well.

The majority of accidents are the result of numerous actors. Those that stand out among them are as follows:

1. Driving too fast: This is sometimes a result of avarice or the urge to make as many turns as possible in order to overtake other vehicles without thinking about the repercussions. By doing thus, they disregard traffic laws, road signs, and warnings. the possibility of some harmful.

2. Drugs/Alcohol: It is impossible to overstate the negative impact that drugs or alcohol have on our bodies. These result in sleepiness and, eventually, sleep. They result in incorrect calculations and a lack of consideration for the lives of other people and the driver’s own property. Some triggers result in extreme anxiousness and alertness, a loss of control, and ultimately a breakdown of the body system of the individual affected.

3. Roads (Road Accidents Immuned Delusion Syndrome): Some drivers, who have driven a particular vehicle for years, develop the illusion that they have fully mastered it and cannot be involved in a road traffic accident. Other drivers, who hold the similar delusion due to their faith in a shrine, ring, talisman, etc., believe they cannot be hurt or killed in a road accident and proceed to drive carelessly.

4. The Road: The way the road is built is very important. Many accidents occur on roads with many bands. Numerous accidents occur on poorly designed roads, which often have unmarked byways and tiny lanes. Numerous accidents occur on poorly maintained roads. The absence of road signs, such as those that indicate construction zones, narrow bridges, crossroads, bumps, “T” junctions, etc., also adds to traffic accidents.

5. Ignorance of traffic signs: The majority of drivers in Nigeria are so illiterate that they are unable to understand traffic signals, endangering their lives as well as the lives of others and property.

6. Aggression: This is psychological in nature. Also a result of or possibly brought on by not getting enough sleep the previous night because of some issue. The driver then awakens irate and hostile. Without going through morning drills, arguing with other drivers, passengers, or traffic cops, for example, he leaps into the car, putting himself and others at risk of being injured in an accident.

7. The weather, which includes the sun’s rays and rain, as well as how they affect the state of the roadways. Rain causes the roadways to become slick and wet, which lessens the grip of the tires and makes braking when needed nearly impossible. The bitumen on the road is heated by the sun, which also heats the tires. Weak tires often explode very easily when this occurs. If ignored, both situations increase the risk of accidents on our route.