Transport And Communications 2026, 14(1):1-12 | DOI: 10.26552/tac.C.2026.1.1

Spatial Analysis of Road Safety Awareness and Traffic Accident Patterns in Urban Neighborhoods: A GIS-Based Study of Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

Augustine Eghuruamrakpo1
1 Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, Nigeria

Road accident occurrences are a universal and worldwide phenomenon. This is so because accidents happen on all categories of roads, which include street roads, express roads, tared and untarred roads, among others. The study analyses accidents in the neighborhood roads, like the streets, minor link roads, or minor roads that link major areas together, and identifies road traffic accident locations to assess the road users’ safety awareness levels in the Ibadan metropolis. Data were sourced from the police traffic department. This data includes streets where accidents have occurred in the metropolis (2018-2023), and the type of vehicle involved. GPS (global positioning system) was used to take coordinates of the streets and locations. The city was divided into zones based on the magnitude of accident occurrence, and questionnaires were used to evaluate road users' road safety awareness levels for each zone. These were rated as percentages. The level of awareness of the presented road signs and the frequency of accidents in each zone were correlated to establish the relationship. ArcGIS 10.8 for spatial analysis and SPSS 17.0 for correlation analysis. Descriptive statistics data were presented using tables, charts, and maps. The analysis reveals the magnitude of accident occurrence across the zones. The correlation analysis shows a correlation of 0.827; p-values are < .01. It indicates a strong correlation between accident occurrences and the level of awareness and use of road signs and symbols. The distribution of accident incidences across Ibadan city is clustered with the p-value at 0.01, which is greater than the z-score of -2.52. It was also observed that motorcycles are the most involved in accidents within the metropolis, and that accidents increase as we move away from police stations. Causes of accidents are seen to be different across the metropolis, with low traffic safety education ranking the highest. The study therefore recommends re-educating road users on how to use the road and obey road signs and symbols as a way to reduce accident incidences within the metropolis. The presence of control agents like the police, the road safety corps, and the Oyo state traffic management personnel should be encouraged.

Keywords: Cordon, Road Safety, Accident, Georeferencing, Safety consciousness
JEL classification: C21, D81, R41, R42

Received: January 22, 2026; Revised: January 22, 2026; Accepted: March 30, 2026; Prepublished online: June 30, 2026; Published: June 28, 2026  Show citation

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Eghuruamrakpo, A. (2026). Spatial Analysis of Road Safety Awareness and Traffic Accident Patterns in Urban Neighborhoods: A GIS-Based Study of Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria. Transport And Communications, 14(1), 1-12. doi: 10.26552/tac.C.2026.1.1
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