Psychology: An unexplored panacea to road traffic safety challenges in Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2022-01
Authors
Malomo, B.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Trenton: Africa World Press
Abstract
The most critical element in the road system is the human element mainly represented by drivers. Driver behaviour, including other road user behaviours is motivated by internal-psychological states (Rotengatter, 1997b). According to Pierre-Emmanuel (2001), these internal states can be categorised into the following: biological differences, learned individual differences (experience), task-generated factors (e.g. noise, emotion, fatigue, and sleepiness), non-task-generated factors (e.g. sleep-loss, aggression, stress, alcohol). These internal states are variables that are studied in the field of psychology. Moreover, psychological theories such as personality theories, theories of aggression, and cognitive theories are among the theories that explain traffic and driver behaviour. The optimum utilisation of these psychological theories in understanding what goes on in the mind of the road user and in the traffic scene will to a great extent give us insight to the solutions we need to tackle road traffic safety challenges. This paper investigates by exploring the psychological theories that explain driver behaviour. This will enhance quality policy statements and laws that would be utilised by stakeholders and guide road users in Nigeria. Attempts at stemming the rate of road traffic occurrences on Nigerian roads would require more concerted efforts by the government and road safety experts. Concerned stakeholders should explore behavioural dimensions of driving in modifying the behaviour of drivers. The problems of fatigue, inattention, judgment error, distraction, aggression for instance are factors that influence driver behaviour considerably. These variables require psychological input which has hitherto being ignored by concerned safety regulators.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
Citation
Malomo, B. (2022). Psychology: An unexplored panacea to road traffic safety challenges in Nigeria. Touching Lives Through Psychology and Beyond. (pp.311-332).