ROAD CHARACTERISTICS, TRAFFIC NATURE AND DRIVERS’ PROPENSITY TO USE MOBILE PHONE

The objective of this study was to investigate whether drivers’ propensity to use mobile phone during active driving was determined by given road type, road condition and traffic nature. Naturalistic observations of vehicles were conducted on intra-city roads in Lagos, Ibadan and Ile-Ife and intercity roads between Lagos-Ibadan and Ibadan-Ife expressways. Interview was also conducted with 26 drivers purposively selected to provide narrative account of personal mobile phone use while driving. Descriptive and content analysis techniques were used to present the results of both the observation and interview. Results showed that 5.18% of a total 2627 drivers observed on the intracity roads were seeing with their phones during active driving while 6.09% of 952 drivers observed on the intercity expressways were seeing using their mobile phones. Results also revealed that high percentage of drivers would not use their phone on high-ways (H-Ws), bumpy roads (BRs) and lowdensity traffic (LDT) while most drivers use their mobile phones on street-level roads (SLRs), smooth surface roads (SSRs). Factors such as exigency of calls, suitability to pick calls, consideration for speed, chaotic potential outcomes were among factors that determine their penchant to pick calls.