Introduction

Globally, road traffic accidents (RTAs) continue to be a significant cause of mortality, with approximately 1.35 million fatalities each year, amounting to over 3,500 deaths daily. RTAs rank as the eighth leading cause of death across all age groups and are the primary cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29, highlighting a critical neglect of RTAs in child health concerns. Alarmingly, the risk of dying from an RTA is three times greater in low-income countries compared to high-income nations.

In addition to loss of life, RTAs frequently lead to injuries, disabilities, and considerable economic burdens on individuals and society. Economic estimates suggest that RTAs cost countries around $1.8 trillion during the period of 2015 to 2030, with low- and middle-income countries facing losses of approximately $1 trillion annually. Even though RTAs are predictable and preventable, they persist as a daily reality in many regions. Unfortunately, previous efforts and investments have fallen short of significantly reducing the devastating impacts of RTAs, failing to meet the goal of halving global RTA-related deaths and injuries by 2020.

RTA Trends in Africa

Africa has the highest RTA death rates globally, at 26.6 per 100,000 people, largely due to inadequate implementation and enforcement of key safety measures such as speed regulation, driving under the influence, helmet use, seatbelt compliance, and child restraint utilization. In Ethiopia specifically, the RTA mortality rate was even higher at 37 per 100,000 in 2018, with young adults aged 15 to 29 being disproportionately affected, accounting for approximately 47.1% of RTA incidents.

Extensive research has investigated human, vehicle, and environmental factors associated with actual RTAs. Studies conducted in the Gamo zone have pointed to prevalent human errors, including overloading, speeding, driving while fatigued, and intoxication, as primary causes of these accidents. However, these analyses have often neglected to assess the broader road safety context, which includes external factors and the impact of near-miss incidents on the likelihood of actual accidents occurring.

The Need for a Comprehensive Approach

The focus on individual driver responsibility stems from World Health Organization findings indicating that human error is the primary contributor to roughly 95% of RTAs. This has led to initiatives aimed at educating road users to prevent errors. However, it is essential to recognize that crash occurrences are influenced by multiple factors. Thus, solely attributing accidents to driver behavior overlooks other critical determinants.

Accidents typically happen when system components interact in complex, unpredictable ways. Enhancing safety involves understanding accident dynamics rather than merely identifying causes. Moreover, improving safety by focusing on individual factors often proves ineffective in intricate systems. Some authors advocate for a holistic review of accident occurrences and appropriate interventions that consider the entire system rather than isolated elements.

Objectives of the Current Study

This study aims to evaluate both the environmental conditions of accidents and driver behaviors to elucidate how accidents transpire within the road safety infrastructure. Additionally, the study investigates the prevalence of near-miss accidents, recognizing that these incidents significantly increase the likelihood of actual crashes occurring. Drivers with multiple near-miss experiences are found to have a substantially elevated risk of being involved in RTAs, emphasizing the necessity to understand and mitigate these events.

Despite several studies identifying various factors correlated with near-miss incidents, this research uniquely incorporates external factors using the Contributory Factor Interactions Model (CFIM). By including variables like speeding ticket history, access to training, adherence to road safety regulations, and health-related reporting systems, this study seeks to fill existing research gaps and enhance understanding of near-miss determinants among truckers.