Geospatial Analysis of Road Traffic Accident Hotspot along Gadar Kafin Gana to Birnin Kudu Expressway Jigawa State, Nigeria

This study analyzes the accident trends from 2010 to 2022 and moves on to locate and map out accident hotspots along Gadar Kafin Gana to Birnin Kudu Expressway in Jigawa State Nigeria. The FRSC records and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) provided the data used in this study. Though, tables, percentages, ArcGIS 10.1 Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were the tools used for analysis. Sadly, the study found that the highest frequency of fatality was 58.3% recorded in 2013 which was closely followed by 47.1%, 46.7%, and 46.2% in 2020, 2019, and 2022 respectively. The greatest percentage of people with serious injuries was 31.3% in 2021, followed by 28.5% in 2018. However, the largest percentage of minor injuries 58.3% was recorded in 2017. The study further revealed that there was a decline in the number of accident cases, but there was an increase in the fatality rate whenever an accident occurs in the study area. The study also identified seventeen (17) accident hotspot locations in the study area. It was also discovered that Kantoga Village, with a value of 16.95, had the highest Accident Point Weighting, followed closely by Alu Agro Farm and Kafin Gana Bridge, with values of 15.45 and 11.85, respectively. Additionally, it was discovered that the accident hotspots were not evenly distributed along the road. It was recommended that a major factor in encouraging excellent traffic rule compliance is enhanced road users' awareness of the risks linked to traveling at high speeds on roads with sharp bends, narrow bridges, and potholes.