TITLE:
Factors Influencing the Use and Abuse of Drugs by Commercial Drivers: A Case of Commercial Drivers in Ghana
AUTHORS:
Hawa Osman
KEYWORDS:
Drunk Driving, Substance Abuse, Marijuana, Odds Ratio, Accidents
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.9,
August
15,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Significant number of road accidents can be attributed to drug use and
drunk driving globally. The increase in the number of road traffic accidents in
a report by the Ghana National Road Safety Commission, calls for a review of
drunk driving in the country. The study was conducted to determine the types
and use of drugs by drivers in Ghana. This will determine the social and
cultural factors that influence drug driving. Methodology: We developed
and introduced a self-administered questionnaire using a sample of 300
questionnaires. These were administered and carefully edited to ensure some
level of consistency, clarity and reliability in the information gathered.
Purposive sampling approach was used in the selection of commercial bus
stations and cargo stations of selected regions depending on the locations of
these stations and the population of vehicles. Backward elimination regression
model-building technique was used in the selection of significant variable(s)
into a fitted logistic regression model. Five percent statistical level of
significance was required for a variable to stay in the model. Results: Commercial
bus drivers who responded or participated in this study were male adults within
the active age and forty one percent were illiterate. About, thirty four
percent of these commercial drivers admitted to using drug when driving and
seventy percent of these drivers learned how to drive from unapproved driving
institutions. Educational levels of these drivers, hours used to drive, how the
commercial drivers were trained and distance they traveled were the most
significant variables associated with the use of drug by commercial drivers. Conclusion: In conclusion, there exists significant association between Levels of
educational, distance traveled, time used in driving and drug Use by these
commercial drivers. Drunk driving is a major threat to the development of
Ghana. This threatens our transportation industry and measures ought to be taking to address
this problem.