Prevalence of Road Traffic Accidents and Associated Factors in Chuko Town, Southern Ethiopia, 2017

Abstract

Article InfoBackground: A road traffic accident is an incident on a way or street open to public traffic, resulting in one or more persons being killed or injured, and involving at least one moving vehicle. The purpose of this study was to present the prevalence and factors associated with road traffic accident in Chuko town , Southern Ethiopia Materials and Method: Community based cross sectional study was done in Chuko Town with a total sample size of 422 from March 27 to April 4, 2009 E.C Questionnaire consists of demographic characteristics like age, occupation, level of education and cause of RTA. The study employed chi-square analysis. Data from qualitative was analyzed manually then triangulated with the quantitative one. The result is presented using descriptive statistics using tables and graphs. Result: A total of 422 respondents participated in our study with 100% respondent rate. Among the participants, 99(23.5%) of them had previous history of RTA. Concerning the causes of RTA, 141(33.4%) majority of them were caused by poor road condition followed by 119(28.2%) by over speed. The results from FGDs and interviews showed that the Town has traffic flow and motor bikes were most common causes of the accident. Conclusion:The study found out that RTA is big problem of the Town The most common cause of RTA is poor road condition and Motor Bikes are most commonly involved in the accident.

Road traffic accidents and the contributing factors among drivers of public transportation in Mizan Aman town, Ethiopia: a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…Implementation of strategies to combat RTAs includes road safety training courses for young people and adults aimed at raising awareness and changing the attitudes of their participants, influencing the intention to change behaviors toward more appropriate and less risk factors among drivers, and evaluations of different types of programs regarding road traffic, which specifically focused on resilience, risk detection, and decision-making that have proven to be the most useful (52). However, the result is somewhat lower than the study results reported in Mekelle Town (26.4%) (33), Chuko Town (23.5%) (32), and Ethiopia (21.9%) (15). The observed variation may be attributed to variations in the data sources, study participants, study settings, and sample size (15,32,33).…”

“…Using the standard formula for a single population proportion, the sample size was calculated. By taking into account 33.4% of traffic accidents on the roads due to bad road conditions in Chuko Town, Ethiopia (32), at a 95% confidence interval (CI). where n = size of the sample; Zα/2 = 1.96 standard scores, with a 95% confidence interval; d = level margin of error to be tolerated (5%); and p = proportion of RTAs.…”

“…Using the standard formula for a single population proportion, the sample size was calculated. By taking into account 33.4% of traffic accidents on the roads due to bad road conditions in Chuko Town, Ethiopia ( 32 ), at a 95% confidence interval (CI).…”

“…The tools used in this study were adapted from different published articles ( 27–29 , 32 , 34 , 40 ) and modified to make them suitable for the study context. These tools comprise a structured and open-ended questionnaire that includes the following variables: demographic characteristics [sex, age, educational and marital status, monthly income, family size, employee condition, driving license level, the experience of the driver, and possession of a car]; risky personal behaviors [alcohol use, chewing khat, cigarette smoking, prior punishment by traffic police, and the habit of checking vehicles]; driver factors [working hours per day, information sources about traffic safety (media, training, and friends vs. traffic police), traffic-related safety training, use of a safety belt]; vehicle conditions [vehicle type, service years of a vehicle, maintenance condition, and mechanical problems encountered], and environmental conditions [weather conditions like rain, windy, fog or cloudy; road type (non-asphalted vs. asphalted); time (day, afternoon, night, and midnight), and type of collision].…”

“…Furthermore, in the national context, different studies have revealed repeated occurrences of RTA with different magnitudes. For instance, the prevalence of RTA is as follows: Hawassa (55.1%) ( 27 ); East Wollega zone (33%) ( 28 ); University of Gondar referral hospital (33.6%) ( 1 ); residents of Ethiopia (3%) ( 8 ); Amhara region (51%) ( 29 ); Wolaita zone (62.5%) ( 30 ); Bahirdar city (16.3%) ( 31 ); Chuko Town (23.5%) ( 32 ); Mekelle Town (26.4%) ( 33 ); Sidama region (55.1%) ( 27 ); Jigjiga Town (32.8%) ( 34 ); Addis Ababa (56.9%) ( 35 ); and Dilla town (39.9%) ( 36 ). Moreover, RTA causalities included drivers (21.9%), passengers (35.0%), and vulnerable road users (36.0%), of which 21.0, 12.1, and 2.9% were motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists, respectively ( 15 ).…”