The Economic Cost and Policy Implications of Heavy Goods Vehicles Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria

This study of the Cost of heavy goods vehicles accidents was conceived following the growing rate of road traffic accidents involving heavy goods vehicles in Nigeria. The study was designed to analyse the place of heavy goods vehicles road traffic in Nigeria and the cost of traffic accidents involving these types of vehicles. Nigerian transportation system was reviewed among other literature on costs of accidents to base the analysis. The study was anchored on the positivist research philosophy and both primary and secondary data were collected and analysed. Secondary data were collected from the Federal Road Safety Commission and from four different hospitals. Primary data were obtained from a field survey conducted at Shagamu and Mararraban Jos rest areas for truck drivers; and in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt for truck operators.

Analysis of the data was achieved using; descriptive statistics, Whitney u-test and human capital analytical methods. The results show that the major causes of heavy goods vehicles traffic accidents in Nigeria are bad roads, drivers over speeding, wrong overtaking by drivers and obstructions placed on highways.

The total cost of heavy goods vehicles road traffic accidents in 2011 was estimated to be $0.602 billion, this was estimated to be equivalent to 5.9 % of the overall cost of road accidents to the GDP of Nigeria per annum. The amount is also equivalent to 2.64 % of the contribution of the transport sector to the economy, and 2.94% of that of the road transport sector. The major cost components were property damage costs (vehicles, goods in transit, third party property), lost output, pain, grief and suffering, administration and medical costs. In the same manner, the cost associated with fatal accidents is higher than the cost of serious injury accidents, minor injury accidents and property damage only accidents.

Policy recommendations of the study include restriction of the importation of used vehicles in to the country, review of the road construction policy to accommodate heavier vehicles, development of a robust road traffic accident data collection and management system and development of an effective driver-training program to improve drivers‘ skills.

The major contribution of this study to knowledge is the estimation of the cost of heavy goods vehicles road traffic accidents, which has not been done before in Nigeria as well as in other developing countries. It is also a contribution to knowledge that, multiple sources of data were utilized to calculate the cost of the accidents based on the requirements of the human capital model.

The objectives of the study were fully achieved and the outcomes are similar with results of other studies obtained elsewhere using other models. Further research is recommended in the areas of the cost of traffic congestions and delays that are caused by HGV accidents, the cost of environmental damage due to HGV accidents and funeral cost of accident victims. Additional research is also required in the area of accident under-reporting in Nigeria.