By correspondent in Ilorin.
Prof.Biliyamin Ibitoye.
Prof. Biliyamin Ibitoye of Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Kwara State University (KWASU), has called on the government to enact a policy to make undertaking of Road Safety Audit (RSA) compulsory for road projects.
Prof. Ibitoye made the call on Wednesday at the 12th Inaugural Lecture of KWASU titled ”Living with Death Trap: Way Forward to Safer Life on Nigerian Roads” held in Malete.
The professor of Highway and Transportation Engineering, said the issue of traffic safety especially on the road has taken a global dimension and Nigeria with poor road safety record cannot be left out.
He said RSA should be made compulsory for our road
projects from the planning stage to the construction stage of
federal and state roads in Nigeria as well as for the existing
roads.
”Despite its importance to road safety, RSA is yet to be accepted by the road engineering community as part of the requirement for the
successful completion of a road project.
”RSA is regarded as
an important part of the quality assurance process that would
bring the best possible return on the investment of public and
private funds, more so for the interest of the road users at large.
”Although RSA is still at its infant
stage in Nigeria, the international agencies such as World Bank,
AfDB and ECOWAS have taken positive steps to enforce its
implementation in some states and federal road projects (new
roads and upgrading works).
”This is because of the strong commitment to improve the level of safety on the nation’s roads,” Prof. Ibitoye said.
He said the implementation of RSA procedures helps to eliminate or minimize causes of accident before these are built into a project.
”It also helps to inculcate a road safety culture particularly
amongst those directly involved or indirectly associated with the
project.
”It is the evaluation of road schemes during design
and construction to identify potential safety hazards before the
scheme is opened to traffic.
”The RSA process is to ensure that all road projects are capable of providing the highest practicable
standard of traffic safety for all road users,” Prof. Ibitoye said
He however noted that human factor, mechanical and environmental factors are the main causes of traffic accidents/crashes, so all the stakeholders must work hand in hand.
”Engineers working at the Federal and State Ministries of Works that are in charge of design and supervision of roads are involved in traffic conflict studies at intersection, which should be avoided at all costs.
”Proper evaluation based on data collection, local knowledge, and application of appropriate devices can help in providing a viable traffic calming mechanism that will be safe with less discomfort to road users.
”Federal Road Safety
Corps (FRSC) on their part, should ensure in collaboration with driving schools, that all drivers both (commercial and private) are trained and re-trained on the traffic
rules and regulations before issuance or renewal of driver’s
licence.
”Proper use of educational materials such as posters,
handbooks, campaigns, public mass media like radio and
television can also be used to educate drivers and passengers on
how safety on roads can be improved,” the professor said.
He added that detailed evaluation of safety initiatives needs to be carried out on a regular basis.
”The use of appropriate criteria in measuring the success, instead of simple accident numbers, is extremely important.
”This is because many factors can be attributed to the change in accident pattern, their likely
occurrence, probable frequency, causes and socio-economic
impact.
”The use of appropriate evaluation techniques is also important to give insight into the interpretation of accident patterns,” he said.
Prof. Ibitoye further enjoined Nigeria, like many developed
countries, to try to improve the performance of the existing transport systems in order to enhance mobility and safety,
reduce demand for car use, and improve traffic fluidity.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
