ROAD TRAFFIC CRASHES IN RURAL AREA: CASE STUDY FROM DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Road traffic crashes (RTC) are a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide,but especially in low and middle-income countries.This study was carried out to describe the categories of road users involved in accidents, the prevalence of injury and the fatality rate resulting from such accidents among adult rural dwellers in Delta State, Nigeria.A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out among 148 road crashes victims selected by cluster sampling method from two communities of Delta State of Nigeria. Tool for data collection were researcher administered semi structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and percentages were used to summarize data. Inferential statistics such as Chi-square test was used to draw association between categorical variables. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0 computer software.Ninety nine (87.8%) of the victims were age 18-37 years. There were more males (61.0%) than females (39.0 %).The category of road users involved in crash consisted mainly of occupants of motor cycle (83.7 %), bus (13.7 %) and car (12.3 %). Out of 146 respondents, 128 (87.7%) sustained injury and 12 (8.2%) of them were said to have involved at least a death. The road crashes that resulted to death of at least a person, was higher at night (35.7%) than during the day.Victims of road traffic crashes were predominantly young adult (18-27 years] and males. Majority of them sustained injury. Reported history of road crashes that resulted in at least one death was more in the night than other times of the day. Most respondents have been involved in single accident episode. History of multipleaccidents was more among males than females, and higher among respondent with a primary education than those who had a secondary education.