THE ROLES OF ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN REDUCING ROAD ACCIDENTS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The rise of road accidents in Nigeria, especially in Lagos state, leading to injuries, deaths, and economic losses, is a serious concern. Due to this high casualty rate, the Lagos State government developed and exposed drivers to road safety education programmes to address the reckless behaviour of commercial drivers. In light of this, the study examined the roles of road safety education programmes in reducing road accidents in Lagos State. Three research objectives were posed and three hypotheses were tested to guide the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. While Krejci & Morgan's (1970) sample size determination table was used to determine the sample size, stratified random sampling technique was used to select 370 respondents. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Hypotheses were analysed using inferential statistics of regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that road safety education programmes make a meaningful contribution to improving road safety outcomes; and emergency first responder education programmes do not significantly enhance the professionalism of commercial bus drivers in Lagos State. The study concludes road safety education programmes such as public enlightenment and campaign programmes provide strong validation for road safety education as a core road safety strategy. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Transportation and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), should establish a mandatory, integrated professional development framework for all commercial bus drivers.