A 2-Year Audit Report of the Socio-Demographics and Clinical Profile of ‘One-Way’ Traffic Offenders Referred to the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Benin

Abstract

Background: Wrong-way driving, sometimes referred to as ‘one-way’ driving, is a common offence, however, the role mental illness plays is unknown. This study aims to determine the socio-demographic and clinical profile, in addition to the prevalence of mental disorders, among arrested wrong-way traffic offenders in the Benin metropolis.

Methods: Socio-demographic and clinical correlate data was obtained from the records of 18 one-way traffic offenders who were referred to the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria for evaluation within the last 24 months.

Results: All offenders were males, with an age range of 23-63 years. None of the traffic offenders had a past psychiatric disorder, neither was there any significant finding in their mental state examination. Only three of the offenders tested positive for cannabinoids in a urine toxicology screen.

Conclusion: Mental illness did not contribute remarkably to traffic offending in the sample of offenders sent for psychiatric evaluation. Rather than refer, appropriate punishment should be meted out on offenders to serve as deterrence.