Road Use Regulations: Knowledge and Compliance Among Commercial Motorcycle Riders in Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The usage of motorbikes for commercial transportation has become increasingly popular, particularly when there are traffic jams in Nigeria. However, the number of injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents is rising, and there is insufficient data on how much commercial motorcyclists abide by traffic laws and regulations. This study, therefore, assessed the knowledge of road use regulations and compliance among commercial motorcycle riders in Oluyole Local Government Area (OLGA), Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted 300 randomly selected commercial motorcyclists in OLGA. A validated semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square at p=0.05. Respondents' mean age was 31.9±7.0 years, 66.0% were married while 54% had a valid riding license. Sixty-eight percent of the participants stated that 50 km/hour is the speed limit for commercial motorcycle while 77.7% reported that the dotted white line on the road indicating a rider can overtake. The mean knowledge score was 7.8±1.8, 86.0% had good knowledge on road use rules and regulation. Most (99.7%) of the participants revealed that they always mindful of following road use rules while 37.0% said they always use helmet whenever they want to carry passengers. The mean level of compliance to road use rules and regulation was 6.3±0.6, only 31% were in full compliance with the road use rules and regulation. Significantly, commercial motorcycle riders who possess a valid drivers' license (36.6%) had full compliance to road use regulations compared to those without valid drivers' license (25.2%). Commercial motorcycle riders had good knowledge of traffic rules and regulations but full compliance was low. Compliance to road use rules and regulations should be enforced.