Effect of Land Use, Time of Day and Vehicle Type on Seat Belt Use in Lagos, Nigeria.

Akinyemi, Yingigba C.; Taiwo, Olalekan John; Osayomi, Tolulope; Olaniran, Hezekiah Daramola · 2012 · Crossref

DOI: 10.36108/ijss/2102.01.0250

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Summary

This study investigates the factors influencing seat belt compliance among drivers in Lagos, Nigeria, specifically examining the effects of land use type, vehicle type, and time of day. Despite the proven efficacy of seat belts in reducing traffic injuries and deaths, and their legal mandate in Nigeria since 2004, compliance rates remain low. The research addresses a gap in existing literature, which has largely focused on developed countries or failed to consider the combined influence of these specific variables in developing nations. The researchers conducted a two-day cross-sectional observational survey in June 2011 within the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State. Data were collected at three purposively selected observation points representing commercial (Mile 2 area), institutional (Lagos State University), and residential (Baale community) land uses. A team of 300 trained undergraduate students served as field assistants, observing drivers from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. They recorded seat belt usage for a total of 40,753 vehicles, categorizing data by vehicle type (private cars, public cars, private buses, public buses) and time periods (morning low/high, afternoon low/high). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 15, employing chi-square tests to determine significant variations in compliance rates across the different groups. The overall seat belt use rate was found to be 43.1%, indicating that more than half of the drivers failed to comply with regulations. Significant variations were observed across all three variables (p = 0.001 for all). Compliance was highest in residential areas (55.8%), followed by commercial (44.8%) and institutional (37.1%) zones. Regarding vehicle type, private car drivers exhibited the highest compliance rate at 65.1%, while public bus drivers had the lowest at 8.7%. In terms of time of day, the highest compliance occurred between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm (44.8%), with the lowest rates observed during the afternoon high traffic period (40.6%). The study concludes that seat belt usage in Lagos is significantly influenced by land use, vehicle type, and time of day. The authors suggest that higher compliance in residential areas and specific time slots may be attributed to the presence of road safety officers, implying that enforcement visibility drives behavior. The low usage in public buses is linked to operational constraints, such as frequent stops for passengers, and potentially the absence of seat belts in some vehicles. The findings highlight the need for targeted education campaigns and stricter enforcement, particularly for public transport drivers and during low-compliance time periods. The authors also recommend further research into the beliefs and attitudes affecting seat belt use to inform evidence-based road safety policies.

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• seat belt use

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence