This is because the size of Nigeria’s traffic police force is too small for its road network and driver population. Moreover, the force often stays on the major highways while most of the reported road traffic accidents occur in the densely populated and motorized municipal area. In general, the variability of road traffic accident occurrences within the study area in the 32 years period can be attributed to the variations in traffic density. This is because of improvements in the quality and density of roads has not led to appreciable changes in driving, safety provisions or stronger procedures for monitoring road users’ compliance with traffic rules and regulations across the country. Moreover, poor police practices, regional disparities in traffic police strength and inadequate facilities have limited their ability to effectively enforce traffic regulations, and by extension, their ability to be effective road safety agents. It is clear from the study that the human factor is the most potent contributor to motor vehicle accidents in Nigeria. This is not surprising because people pervade all aspects of traffic accident causation: from poor road construction, corrupt traffic law enforcement, to poor road user. The driver who disobeys road traffic regulations may be the doctor or nurse in the hospital where accident victims are treated. The law enforcement officer that has no tools to work with and display a nonchalant attitude to accident victims also contributes to their eventual death. All these make the human factor the since qua non in the development of theory and the building of models for the explanation of and solution to the problem of road accidents in Nigeria and elsewhere. A fuller understanding of the many factors which contribute to road accidents in Nigeria is needed before effective measures can be applied to alleviate the present situation. Moreover, alleviating the situation requires a coordinated approach by all stakeholders including the Police, The Federal Road Safety Commission, teacher, parents, planners, doctors and individuals members of society.
IMPLICATION OF FINDINGS/RECOMMENDATIONS
For Nigeria, the measures in table 3 might help to reduce the country’s high road accident rated and improve her overall road safety.
To deal with the high accident situation in Lagos State, the authorities should: First, decongest the CBD by staggering work hours so that all workers do not leave for work at approximately the same time. This would reduce the number of workers plying the roads during peak hours and thus ease traffic congestion in the peak hours. Second, strengthen the state’s traffic patrol effort by (i) ensuring that local traffic police work closely with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), (ii) Regularly patrolling the highways and side streets and, (iii) Ensuring that local police are familiar with the temporal and spatial distribution of road traffic accidents within the their area of jurisdiction.
Third, ensure that there is enough political commitment to deal with the long term issue of reducing road accidents; long term efforts to reduce the states high auto accidents rate requires (i) constant monitoring of the states roads (ii) dedicating enough resources to road safety in spite of extreme budgetary constraints, (iii) sufficient allocation of road safety research funds to identify problems in need of remedial action and to maintain up to-base data for road safety decision – making and public education and, (iv) Coordinating road safety polices at sub-regional and regional levels. Fourth, implement preventive road accident measures including proper design of road networks as well as the planning of the general public transport system to ensure that it runs in an effective and efficient manner as this would reduce the volume of the vehicles plying the roads. Fifth, consistently implement road safety measures that go beyond ad-hoc public pronouncements and traffic control activities on setting up of temporary road blocks or short-term crackdowns on commercial and private vehicles (usually after an important personality is killed in a crash). Such efforts should address broader road safety policy issues and the various underlying causes. For this to happen, it is important to enlist the necessary political good will and commitment to road traffic injury prevention.