Crimes of accommodation: a criminological grounding for road traffic violations among minibus drivers in Africa

ABSTRACT The paper bridges the gap in criminological research on the impact of work systems and conditions on working-class drivers’ commitment to road traffic laws in Africa. Drawing on interviews and focus group discussions with ‘Tro-Tro’ drivers in Ghana, the study shows that, while unquestionably concerning, transgressive driving behaviors (e.g. over-speeding, and dangerous overtaking) are necessary for minibus drivers to cope with the adversities structurally embedded in the power relations that surround, structure, and organize their work. This finding belies the long-standing media and policy narrative which attributes the transgressive behaviors to the drivers themselves (e.g. their unruliness and indiscipline). Approaching risky driving practices among minibus drivers against the backdrop of the power relations underlying the sociotechnical commercial passenger transport system in which they operate opens avenues for more effective countermeasures. The paper hopes to stimulate the further application of criminological theories to model and address road transport problems in Africa.