Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between rainfall and traffic accidents in Lokoja, Nigeria from 2011 – 2020. Rainfall data was obtained from Nigerian Meteorological Agency, while data on traffic accidents and casualties were obtained from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), both for a period of ten years (2011-2020). Data obtained were summarised using simple percentages, charts, and frequency distribution tables; while Pearson Product Moment Correlation, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Simple Linear Regression were used for testing of hypotheses. Results revealed that, the amount of rainfall recorded in the study area vary over months and years. The month of September has the highest rainfall amount with an average of 279.35mm, while the month of December is the driest month with an average of 0.78mm. A high positive correlation was found between the monthly traffic crashes and casualties during the period of analysis which was statistically significant (r = .898, n = 12, P < .001). Analysis indicates that 5.4% of the variation in traffic accidents can be explained by rainfall. However, rainfall significantly predict traffic accidents, F (1, 119) = 6.763, P =.01. Analysis also revealed that for every 1mm increase in rainfall, traffic accident cases decrease by 0.018 in the study area. In order to consolidate the efforts of FRSC in effectively reducing the rates of road traffic accidents in the study area and in the country at large, there is need to also obtain data on weather elements of accident prone areas.

Key Words: Rainfall, Road Traffic Accidents, Road Safety, Causalities, Weather Elements