Safety Rest Areas and Fatigue Related Road Accidents in Enugu, Nigeria
Austine M. Ezezue1, Eziyi O. Ibem2, Emmanuel I. Kikanme3
1Austin M. Ezezue, Department of Architecture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
2Eziyi O. Ibem, Professor of Architecture at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.
3Emmanuel I. Kikanme, Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State Nigeria.
Manuscript received on 02 June 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 10 June 2019 | Manuscript published on 30 June 2019 | PP: 1137-1144 | Volume-8 Issue-8, June 2019 | Retrieval Number: H6598068819/19©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Fatalities and losses from automobile crashes associated with drivers fatigue are on a steady increase in many developing countries, including Nigeria. In a bid to stem the tide, the provision of road rest areas on major highways is increasingly gaining global recognition. However, the extent to which road rest areas can help in checking the rising cases of road crashes in Nigeria have not been examine in the research literature. Therefore, this research investigated how the provision of safety rest areas can contribute to a reduction in the incidence of fatigue-induced road accidents in Enugu southeast Nigeria. The research design adopted was a cross-sectional survey involving the administration of structured questionnaire to 93 randomly selected drivers in the study area. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. The result revealed that around 86.2% of the drivers sampled indicated that on a daily basis they drove more than 6 hours and around 95.7% of them would be 11 times more likely to prefer to stop over to have some rest in the course of their trips. The participants also identified sleeping and lack of concentration on the stirring as one of the principal causes of road accidents they had experienced. It was also found that most of the drivers who had been involved in road accidents were six times more likely to prefer to stop over than those who have never had accidents. This study implies that fatigue which can lead to sleeping and lack of concentration contributes significantly to road accidents among drivers in the study area. The study concludes that to reduce the high incidence of road accidents caused by long driving hours and resulting fatigue on the part of drivers in Nigeria and other developing countries, the provision of road rest areas should be given adequate attention by governments in policy formulation and development of road transportation infrastructure.
Keyword: Road Rest Areas, Fatigue, Passive Safety, Policy, Road Transport & Accidents.
Scope of the Article: Software Safety Systems.