The types of accidents that occur in Nigeria are very similar to those that occur elsewhere in the world.
It is important to know the different types of accidents so that you can make informed decisions about how to prevent these events from occurring in your own life.
This article will discuss different types of accidents which occur in Nigeria, the causes, and how to avoid them.
What you need to know about Accident and their Types
An accident is an event caused by some external cause that leads to injury or damage to people, property, and the environment. It can happen during any activity, be it work, sports, hobbies, and activities done outside the ordinary range of work.
The types of accidents vary according to the nature, cause, and extent of the damage. A negligence or wrongdoing infliction accident is one that occurs solely due to someone’s fault or lack of foresight.
An act or omission causing unintentional harm is not classified as a civil wrong but still an accident. Accidents happen on a daily basis in Nigeria, so it’s advised you have mobile insurance for your car and travel insurance in case of any emergency.
Most accidents occur because of negligent behavior by people who do not pay attention to the danger they are committing themselves and other people in. Moving further, we will discuss the 10 types of accidents, so you take note and be intentional about your movement.
10 Types of Accidents
Are you having difficulties understanding the different types of accidents? We are here to help.
There are many types of accidents and the most common types of accidents are:
- Car Accidents
- Traffic Accident
- Motorbike or Bicycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Workplace Accidents
- Distracted driving or speed-limited accident
- Mechanical Failure
- Human error
- Drowning Accident
- Fire Accident
- Domestic accidents
1. Motor vehicle accident (MVA)
An unintentional event that involves a motor vehicle and/or its occupants. In this scenario, the victim(s) are involved in an accident with another vehicle.
The term covers all types of accidents that occur when a motorized vehicle is operated on public roads or highways. A wise choice to have valid is car insurance; can save a victim money.
2. Traffic accident
A collision between two or more vehicles on a public road or highway, which results in the injury or death of many. Traffic accidents can happen anywhere in the world because of car congestion on roads and people looking for an escape route to their destinations.
3. Motorbike and bicycle Accident
In this type of accident, a motorbike is involved in an accident with another motorcycle or object.
Sometimes too, bicycles also jam objects or slip and jam motorbikes or cars on the road. The motorbike and bicycle accidents persons often sustain serious injuries and dislocation of bones.
You need to be careful out there to avoid such accidents and serious injuries.
4. Pedestrian injury accident
A car accident occurs when a pedestrian is struck by another vehicle while crossing the street or sidewalk.
Pedestrian injuries are often combined with other injuries, such as whiplash, back injuries, and damage from being hit by a car door.
5. Workplace accident
Any accidental event that occurs at work involving injury to an employee because of workplace hazards such as machinery, chemicals, and equipment.
These accidents can also involve equipment malfunctioning as well as unsafe working conditions like not wearing eye protection while using tools around machinery or handling chemicals inside containers without proper ventilation or protective gear.
6. speed-related accidents/ Distracted driving
These are caused by speeding, but they can also happen if you are driving too slowly for the conditions or if your car was too heavy for its tires to handle them safely.
7. Mechanical failure
This is when something breaks down and causes your car to stop working, like a wheel breaking off or a tire losing air. When this happens, an accident can occur immediately.
Therefore, you need to do a thorough check on your car before driving out of the house every day.
8. Human error
This is when someone makes an error, such as not checking their blind spot before slamming on the brakes, causing an accident.
We humans need to be careful to avoid errors we can curtail with a caring attitude towards handling objects.
9. Drowning Accidents
These occur when someone drowns in water. In this type of accident, a person slips inside the water or comes in contact with the wave and drowns.
10. Fire Safety Accidents
This type of accident happens when there is a fire at a building and people get trapped inside it. Once it happens, even if people in the building don’t get help fast, they can be burnt immediately.
Other types of Accident
There are other types of accidents we have:
- Collision
- Falling
- Medical malpractice
- Rear-end collision
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Slip and fall
- Slip & Trip Injury and
- Accidents that are caused by external influences.
Causes of Accident
Accidents happen all the time. They can be caused by many factors, including:
- Driving too fast and failing to break in time
- Falling downstairs while carrying groceries or a child
- Slipping on ice, snow, or other slippery material
- Being hit by something as simple as a car door or as serious as a falling object.
11 Ways to Avoid Accidents
Accidents can happen any minute and for any reason. Therefore, we have prepared a list of tips to help you stay safe on the road and the most important thing you can do to reduce your chances of injury:
- Be alert when driving. Be observant and look out for other motorists and pedestrians.
- Watch out for children who may run out into traffic or play in the road without looking both ways first.
- Make sure your car is in order and in good working conditions so that you are ready to drive it when needed with no delays or problems arising from mechanical failure of any kind (including engine failure).
- Check all tires regularly for wear, especially those used on long trips as they may be more prone to developing cracks because of uneven wear patterns caused by rough roads or poor maintenance practices.
- Be aware of your surroundings. If you’re on foot, make sure to look both ways before crossing the road, and keep an eye out for other pedestrians.
- Make yourself visible. Wear bright clothing that reflects headlights, put reflective materials in your backpack or purse, and don’t walk alone at night.
- Don’t drink and drive! Alcohol impairs judgment and coordination, making it harder to avoid an accident.
- Before you go anywhere, make sure you have your cell phone with you and that it has a full charge.
- If you’re traveling alone, keep a few extra pairs of gloves and shoes in your car so that you can grab them if you need them.
- Make sure your car has working lights, turn signals, and brakes. Make sure the vehicle works properly before you leave for your trip.
- Before driving at night or on rainy days, make sure that all windows are up high so that people can see inside your vehicle while they’re driving.
Conclusion
There are several types of accidents in Nigeria. The most common types that occur include:
- Accident because of negligence, i.e. failing to maintain a safe distance between vehicles or pedestrians
- Accidents due to poor road conditions, such as potholes, lack of lights at night, etc
- Accident due to bad weather conditions
- Accident due to careless driving.
Therefore, remove any objects that can cause accidents in the home and objects in the back seat of your car or truck before getting behind the wheel. Be more careful because as tempting as it may be to do otherwise, accidents can occur.