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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 11, No. 3

Publication Date: June 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/aivp.113.14834.

Okafor, K. C., Okogie, O. H., & Ogbogodo, E. O. (2023). Assessment of Safety Practices Among Commercial Long Distance Bus Drivers in Benin City, Edo State,

Nigeria. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(3). 447-458.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Assessment of Safety Practices Among Commercial Long Distance

Bus Drivers in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Okafor, Kingsley Chinedu

ORCID-0000-0003-3796-2417

Department of Community Medicine & PHC

Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Okogie, Obehi Hilda

Department of Community Health, College of Medicine,

University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Ogbogodo, Esohe Olivia

Department of Community Health, College of Medicine,

University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Safety practices by road users are important for road safety. The

actions or inactions of drivers can result in Road Traffic crashes6.To assess safety

practices and related factors among commercial long distance bus drivers in Benin

City, Edo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study

design was used, and data was collected from 315 commercial long distance bus

drivers and their vehicles from January to October, 2015 using a structured

interviewer administered questionnaires and focus group discussion guide.

Respondents were recruited using systematic random sampling technique. Data

was analysed using SPSS version 20. Results: Data showed that 114 (36.2%) were

within the age group of 31-40 years. Most of the respondents 272 (86.3%) were

married, almost all the respondents 311 (98.7%) were males, while, 4 (1.3%) were

females. More than half of the respondents 172 (54.6%) had a secondary level of

education, 112 (35.6%) had a primary level of education while 12 (3.8%) had no

formal education. About a quarter 83 (26.3%) drive at a safe speed of 80-100

km/hour as approved by the Nigerian high way code. More than two thirds of the

respondents 216 (68.6%) drive at a speed between >100-120 km/hour, while 12

(3.8%) drive above 120 km/hour. Majority of the respondents 235 (74.6%) were

observed using seat belt as a safety practice while 80 (25.4%) were not using their

seat belt. There was a statistically significant association between the respondents’

level of education and their use of seat belts (p = 0.002). Other safety practices done

by respondents were daily vehicle checks 272 (86.3%), obeying traffic rules 284

(90.2%), Unsafe practices done by drivers include violation of road traffic signs

(48.4%), violation of parking regulations (45.2%) , Use of mobile phones (48.9%),

having a soft drink while driving (23.5%), putting a child on the front seat while

driving (3.5%), drinking alcohol while driving (2.5%), smoking while driving

(1.6%), reading newspapers while driving (0.6%). Conclusion: The common safety

practice seen in commercial drivers included, use of seat belt, driving within speed

limits, daily vehicle checks, obeying traffic rules, avoidance of substance use and

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Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom 448

European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 11, Issue 3, June-2023

avoidance of use of mobile phones while driving. Recommendations include

encouraging drivers organizing quarterly meetings, workshops and seminars for

commercial long-distance drivers on safety practices during driving, prevention

and control of road traffic accidents and promoting and ensuring drivers’

compliance with traffic rules.

Keywords: Commercial long-distance drivers, Safety practice, seat belt use, speed.

INTRODUCTION

Road traffic injuries are the second leading cause of death among children aged 5 -14 years and

young people aged 15 - 29 years 1 . Morbidity and mortality following road crashes are also on

the increase in Nigeria2. It is widely known that, holding the number of accidents fixed, the

direct effect of seat belt usage reduces fatalities among those wearing seat belts. 3, The use of

seat belts has been found to be effective for the reduction in the number of accidents

attributable to vehicles. Data shows that seat belt use by front seat passengers could prevent

40 percent to 50 percent fatalities when compared to otherwise unrestrained individuals4, 5.

Safety practices by road users are important for road safety. The actions or inactions of drivers

can result in Road Traffic crashes6. Traffic law violations, road sign violation, park regulation

violations, use of mobile phones, alcohol consumption, smoking, seem to be minor offenses for

many, but in reality, they have the potentials of causing terrific accidents, with consequent loss

of lives, and damages on property6,7.

Seatbelts are indisputably a relatively low-cost safety device that provides easy basic protection

for occupants of passenger vehicles, especially long-distance bus drivers. However, law- breaking drivers are likely to resist using seat belts and are also prone to being involved in

crashes2, 8.

Injury control in road traffic accidents is a public health problem thus the need to view road

safety as a system, whose safety must be assured9 . This view is holistic and comprises of the

road user, the road environment and the vehicle. Thus, road safety management strategies are

seen in this light. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/International

Transport Federation report10 “Towards Zero” concluded that a fundamental shift in road

safety management to a safe system approach is required. This report pointed out that the

safest communities in the future will be those that embrace this shift and begin work now on

the interventions required to close the gap between current performance and the performance

associated with a genuinely safe road transport system. It reiterated the need to see road safety

management from the public health perspective using the systems approach as a management

strategy11,12.

The road user is a critical component of the system approach9. Thus, driver’s safety practices

are critical in the road safety system. Noncompliance with road safety will eventually lead to

road deaths and injuries8. These deaths and injuries despite being largely preventable are

massively wasteful, destroying lives beyond those of the actual victims, limiting future

productivity and draining money from economies. The current deficit and losses from road

traffic crashes, including spending on road traffic related events has reduced the funds available

to individuals, communities and national governments for other sectors like health service and

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Okafor, K. C., Okogie, O. H., & Ogbogodo, E. O. (2023). Assessment of Safety Practices Among Commercial Long Distance Bus Drivers in Benin City,

Edo State, Nigeria. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(3). 447-458.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.113.14834

education. Road mishaps are the single biggest non-natural killer of children and young people,

thus there is a need to prioritize strategies and approaches to integrating road safety into public

health, developing ‘place-based’ approaches and accessing expertise and funding12, 13 . Safety

practices in road safety can form a unique bond between the public, private and voluntary

sectors in tackling one of the major social ills – preventable road deaths and injuries5.

Key stakeholders in road safety in Nigeria include all road users (commercial and private),

regulatory agencies like Federal Road Safety Commission, State-run transport regulators,

Ministries of Works and Transport, health care providers, corporate organizations, non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and international agencies and the general public. Legal

backing for road safety stems from the FRSC Act of 2007 and the National Road Traffic

Regulation of 20046,7, 14.

International Road Assessment Programme (IRAP), which is a tool for the identification of the

highest-risk highways, increase security and quality of the driver licensing and vehicle

certification process; ” Operation Zero” aimed at mitigating the challenges of seasonal traffic

gridlocks and associated high road traffic crashes (RTCs) along specific routes and free vehicle

safety checks to create awareness on need for road worthiness checks for vehicles6,7.

The roads are maximally utilized by commercial drivers and firms in transport business.

Nigerian roads are in a poor state, characterized by sharp bends, deep ditches, pot holes, uneven

surfaces, and defacement. Sometimes, bridges are left without protective rails, gully erosions

are eating up the roads creating risks for road crashes15. These badly constructed and poorly

maintained roads will have untoward effects in commercial driving. In fact, some RTAs have

largely been due to the effects of bad roads and poor road networks16,17.

In Nigeria, the law permits Federal road Safety Officers to stop and issue a fine to non-compliant

drivers of vehicles. The FRSC is the agency charged with the responsibility of enforcing the law

on seat belt, punishing violators of traffic rules and others. Although the law has yet to be

extended to front and rear seat passengers1, 13.

This study sought to assess safety practices among commercial long-distance drivers, and

factors affecting it.

METHODOLOGY

A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study Was Done Between January to October, 2015 Among

315 Selected Commercial Long Distance Bus Drivers in Benin City

This study was conducted in Benin City, the capital of Edo State. The city is made up of three

Local Government Areas namely, Oredo, Egor and Ikpoba-Okha. The total population of Benin

City as at 2006 was one million, eighty-five thousand, six hundred and seventy-six (1,085,676).

Benin City serves as a transit area, it has four major highways linking the western part of Nigeria

to the east and the eastern part of Nigeria to the northern part. The highways include; the Lagos- Benin express road which connects Benin to the Western part of Nigeria, the Benin-Sapele

highway which connects Benin to the Niger-Delta region, the Benin-Asaba- Onitsha highway

which connects Benin to the East, the Benin-Auchi-Okene highway which connects Benin to the

Northern parts of Nigeria. Commercial driving is a common occupation and there are numerous

commercial road transport operators in the city carrying passengers to different states in