Epidemiological profile of road accidents in Niamey, Niger from February 1 to March 31, 2017

Abstract

Introduction: Traffic accidents have become a public health problem in Niger. In 2015, the country had 26.4 death per 100,000 inhabitants. The aim of this study was to describe the Sociodemographic characteristics of the drivers and the accidents in terms of time and place.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on road accidents that occurred in Niamey from February 1st to March 31st, 2017. Data were obtained from the national police statistics.
Results: A total of 479 accidents were reported during the Study period. Of all the recorded cases, 93.57% were male. The median age was 22 years old. The age group of 15 to 29 years accounted for 81.4% of all road accidents. Reasons behind road traffic accidents were speeding, refusal to give priorities and carelessness and those were estimated at 21.7%, 29.43% and 30.27%, respectively. Accidents often occurred on Saturday (20.83%). Private cars and motorcycles were more involved at a rate of 43.50% and 33.92% respectively.
Conclusion: These results require the adoption of preventive measures in order to reduce road traffic accidents in Niger. It is essential to involve communities in the planning and application of these measures, considering social and cultural aspects.