Roadway Environmental Conditions and Road Traffic Crash Occurrence, Injury and Death in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The road mode remains the most integrated, accessible, and widely utilised form of global transportation. However, it presents significant challenges to global health and safety due to traffic crashes. While previous studies have often focused on the causative factors of traffic crashes, limited attention has been given to the influence of roadway environmental elements using GIS-referenced data, particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria. This study employs GIS and statistical methodologies to evaluate the impact of roadway environmental factors on road traffic crashes in Oyo State. Adopting an ex post facto research design, crash records from the Oyo State Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for 2020–2022 were analysed. Attributes examined include date, time, location, crash type, causes, casualties, and weather conditions. Key findings reveal that roadway defects (p = 0.001), crash timing (p = 0.007), road surface condition (p = 0.018), and weather conditions (p = 0.021) significantly influence crashes. Binomial Logistic Regression shows that crashes involving partial road collapse, absence of road guards, fog, rainfall, and inadequate shoulders are 4.5, 3, 3, 2, and 2 times more likely to result in injuries than fatalities, respectively. Furthermore, Pearson Correlation indicates a moderate inverse relationship between roadway elevation and crashes (r = -0.426, p < 0.01). The study concludes that roadway environmental conditions significantly contribute to traffic crashes in Oyo State. It recommends frequent blackspot patrolling, redesign of high-risk locations, routine road inspections, maintenance of vulnerable segments, and improved signage to mitigate road traffic crashes in the area.

Keywords: Blackspot, Geo-reference, Crash Scene Light, Roadway Environment