AGE, GENDER, AND DIFFERENCES IN RISK-BASED BEHAVIOR IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

The role of gender and age differences in the risk of road traffic injury (RTI) has not been fully explored, and there are still significant gaps with regards to violations, errors, and lapses. The aim of this research paper is to assess drivers' age, gender, and differences in risk-based behavior in road traffic accidents in Lagos State. A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling was performed. A total of 1,800 drivers aged 20 years and above were approached; 1,576 drivers agreed to participate in the survey (88%). The study was based on a face-to-face interview with a designed questionnaire, including the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) along with socio-demographic variables. Of the studied drivers, 69.8% were males and 30.2% were females. The majority of the drivers were in the age group 30-39 years (41.2%), followed by drivers below 30 years (31.7%). The use of mobile phones while driving (73.6%) and over speeding (75%) were significantly higher in male drivers (p=0.001) as compared to females. However, no significant difference was observed in items of violation between both the genders, except items on "disregard the speed limit especially at night" (47.8% against 23.1%, p=0.052) and excessive speeding on highway (42.8% against 18.1%, p=0.012). TV (89.1% against 48.3%; p=0.018) and radio (90.9% against 42%; p=0.004) were reported as an effective source of road safety campaign by male and female drivers. Also, gender, driving experience, DBQ items such as violations, lapses, and errors showed significant correlation with accident involvement.