Assessment Of Road Traffic Accidents Along Addis Ababa-Jimma Highway

Abstract

Road traffic accidents occur as a result of several factors associated with the traffic systems, such as road users, road environment and vehicles. Despite having low road network density and vehicle ownership, Ethiopia has a relatively high accident records. Consequently, Ethiopia is one of the nations across the globe with the highest fatality rate per vehicle. Besides road injuries and property damages due to traffic accidents, previous studies observe fatality rates in the country as exceeding 100 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles. Road and traffic data were collected from field surveying and accident data were gathered from Pertinent police stations. Each accident spots was measured with reference to the regional administration available on the Addis Ababa-Jimma highway which was from (Sabata to Jimma Check point). During the last five years a total of 949 accidents were reported from which 474 were fatal accidents, 141 were serious injuries, and 44 were slight injuries and 290 were property damages. The research was conducted based on the archive of traffic police data between 2010/11 and 2014/15. A questionnaire survey and field observations were also carried out to collect the required data to be performed as complement to accident analyses. In this research Statistical analysis (Karl Pearson Linear Regression Equation) was used to decide the relationship of dependent and independent variables. A study analyses include comparison of Accident Rates and Densities among different stretch of the highway Therefore, regular assessment of the trends of traffic accidents in the country can be helpful planning strategies to reduce traffic accident rate. Thus, the purpose of this study was assess traffic road accidents along the Addis Ababa-Jimma Highway. Questionnaires were used to collect data from drivers, pedestrians, and traffic police and student traffic police. Statistical analysis of the collected data were carried out using SPSS Version 20, and the analyzed data were presented using table’s graphs and figure. Accident Density and Rate per Million of Entering Vehicles (RMEVs) was calculated ASSESSMENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ALONG ADDIS ABABA-JIMMA HIGHWAY MSc. Thesis by Gonfa Gemeda Page IV It was realized that the trend of road traffic accidents were increased from year to year in the past five year period from 2010/11-2014/15. The study recommends that in striving the road traffic accident safety improvements on this particular highway needs to adjusted human behavior to the environments of the traffic stream and fixed facilities which carry it and would seek to contrive ways and means of better traffic accommodation with planning, education, administration, data capturing, regulation, enforcement, and making capital investments in a new transport facilities and services