The Causes of Road Traffic Accidents in Hargeisa City, Somaliland

Road traffic accidents are the eighth leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29 (productive age group). The objective of the thesis is to examine the causes of road traffic accidents in Hargeisa City. Both primary and secondary data sources were used. Primary data was collected from a sample of pedestrians and drivers by using a questionnaire and field observation. Also, archival documents and interviews with key informants from the Hargeisa traffic police. About 144 sample pedestrians and 80 sample drivers were drawn from a sampling frame of pedestrians and drivers using a purposive sampling technique. The data was analyzed through both descriptive and inferential statistics and narration for quantitative and qualitative information, respectively. According to the findings of the chi-square test, the following factors are associated with road traffic accidents in Hargeisa city: drivers age (0.001), driver′s speed (0.003), failure to give pedestrians priority to pass first as required by law (0.027), use of mobile phones (0.008), and non-use of seat belts (0.009), drivers violating traffic rules and regulations (0.015). As the main contributing factors to road traffic accidents in the city. The study recommended that unless immediate actions to revert the problem are taken, it will worsen in the future as motorization and the population of the city grow altogether. Keywords: Causes, Road Traffic Accidents, Pedestrians, Drivers, Hargeisa, Somaliland DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-3-03 Publication date: February 28th 202