Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria: Understanding the Risk and Preventive Factors

This paper reviewed and discussed risk and protective factors of road traffic accidents in Nigeria and beyond. Road traffic accidents are a common phenomenon and an emerging public health threat globally, including Nigeria. Risk factors discussed include socioeconomic, behavioural, environmental, psychological and vehicular factors. The paper also reviewed protective factors that can aid prevention. Based on the reviewed literature, it recommended urgent, deliberate and purposeful training and retraining of drivers, updating traffic infrastructure, repairing defective infrastructure, and government sponsorship or grants to assist licensing drivers and encouraging enrollment in driving schools.