By Dada Ahmed.
In less than a week from now, christians in Nigeria will join their counterparts in other parts of the world to celebrate Christmas and later, others will join the rest of the world in bidding 2021 goodbye and usher in 2022 as well as mark events of the New year.
Cheering as the historic events are in the world, they involve a lot travelling by people from urban to villages to mark the events with relations and friends.
This development, descerning minds on Nigerian roads observe,will increase traffic and overstretch roads and highways. They also noted that it is this the period of the year that the road use to get “provoked”.
Road,according to Merriam webster”, is an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals.”
It posseses no characteristics of living thing but some people said when provoked by human factor, it can change its colour of being an obedient servant to a wicked master. When that happens, the consequence can be tragic in extreme instances.
Keen road users in Nigeria, especially the commuters, detest the amount of negative attitude of drivers on road, whenever yuletide approaches and called for change of behaviour to reduce rising statistics relating to road crashes in the country to the barest minimum.
Civil engineers such Mohammed Anataku, Joseph Alli and Andrew Alabi are of the view that while road remains a peaceful facility for all manners of road users to use in actualising their aims and objectives, experience shows that no fewer than 80 per cent of the various road crashes that occur on the road in Nigeria is a result of human factor with neglible proportion being error.
Such self inflicted actions,they observe range from wrongful overtaking, speeding, phoning while driving, packing wrongly, fragrant disobedience to traffic rules and regulations,lack of side mirror, not traficating while negotiating a corner, drunkenness while on steering and a host of other adnormalities in traffic.
Nigeria is the largest black population in the world but also with staggering statistics of road crashes on its roads,as a result of the negative behaviour of many drivers, development that remains a source of concern to the government and the people.
For instance, Nigeria lost no fewer than5,320 road crashes resulting in 2,471 deaths nationwide in 6 months in 2021 alone, according to statistics rolled out by The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Abuja.
The FRSC Public Education Officer (CPEO) Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), Bisi Kazeem, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),the largest news agency in Africa.
Kazeem said that the recorded crashes and deaths occurred between January and June 2021, adding that the corps had not relented in its efforts at reducing carnage on the highways.
He said that the 5,320 RTCs that occurred in the country involved 8,808 vehicles, adding that 2,471 people were killed.
Kazeem also revealed that 15,882 people sustained various injuries, while 15,398 were rescued from the crashes without injuries.
This, he said, brought to 33,751, the total number of people involved in the RTCs nationwide between January and June.
Kazeem noted that in the period under review, available statistics also showed that in January alone, the FRSC recorded a total of 923 RTCs across the country.
Zone RS1, comprising Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa, according to him, has the highest crashes, with 148.
He said in February, a total of 808 RTCs were recorded nationwide with the most crashes, 121, happening in Zone RS2, comprising Lagos and Ogun.
“In March, the corps recorded 959 RTCs with most crashes, 140, also occurring in Zone RS2.
“In April, 955 RTCs occurred nationwide, with Zone RS 4, comprising Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue States recording 128, the highest in any zone.
“In the month of May, we recorded 936 crashes across the country, with a total of 158 occurred in RS 2 Lagos zone.
“In June, a total of 739 RTCs were recorded across the country,”FRSC spokesman revealed.
He further disclosed that the Corps also arrested 261,005 offenders nationwide between January and June for committing 281,765 road traffic offences, noting that mobile courts set up by the FRSC tried thousands of traffic offenders within the first half of the year and convicts were appropriately sanctioned.
Aside from sanctioning erring drivers, analysts believe that the most important factor needed to curb road accident to the barest minimum lies in drivers and others imbibing the spirit of self discipline on road and to value human life as sacred and irreplaceable entity.
” A discipline driver must ensure that his vehicle is in a better mechanical fitness in all ramifications, before putting it on road.
“By this I mean ensuring that he must make sure that break,wiper, traficating light, radiator and other parts of the vehicles are in proper working condition before putting them on road to avoid accident,” Mr Adamu AbdulRazaq, who plies Lokoja-Okene road frequently, said.
Another passenger, Miss Grace Abedo, called for strict enforcement of speed limit by the FRSC, as aneffective method of checking road crashes.
“Franklingly speaking, the nature of many roads in Nigeria may not project good story to tell but the good thing is that, it is a clear pointer to drivers that they need to drive with absolute caution to reach destination safely. That the roads are bad is not a certificate for drivers to engage in dangerous driving.They realise that only the living celebrate,”she said.
Abedo called for heavy penalty to be be imposed on drivers who cross speed limits, to serve as deterrent to others in their shoe.
A volunteer in the field of Road Safety from far away in India, simply known as Johnson, believes that road accidents can be prevented not only in his country but else where in the world with the right attitude by road users and the political will by governments, coupled with the law and sanctions for erring road users.
Sharing his thought on the Arrive Alive website,he suggested that: “Most important method to bring down accidents is strict enforcement of speed limits,stressing that 90 per cent of accidents could be avoided by strict enforcement of speed limits, adding that Heavy penalty should be imposed on violators of traffic rules and regulations..
” If this is strictly implemented, nobody will dare to go at high speed.
“Tamper proof speed controllers should be made mandatory for all heavy vehicles. New heavy vehicles should have built in tamper proof speed controllers.
” Two wheeler manufacturers should be asked to design two wheelers with a designed maximum speed of (say) 50/60 kmph.
” New gadgets are to be developed for collision prevention and should be fitted on all vehicle,”he also advised.
According to the expert,driving tests for issuance of driving license should be made more stringent and foolproof to ensure that those driving vehicle are competent to do so.
For the motorcycle riders, Johnson said quality helmet should be made compulsory for them by law in all states, or impose a lower speed limit for those who did not use helmet while such preventive facility be made compulsory for back seat riders also.
“Ensure that only good quality Helmets are available in the market and ensure strict enforcement of existing traffic rules and regulations in the country,”he emphasised
According to him, drivers who do not maintain the safe distance for the speed should be punished, adding that safety awareness should begin from childhood, pointing out that it is difficult to impart awareness to a grown up a human.
” If safety awareness is imparted at childhood, safety will be a habit,” he argued.
He also called on government to ban video/computer games that simulate racing or be discouraged by parents, all in an attempt to check road accident.
” Children below a certain age should not be permitted to do cycling in busy roads / roads where heavy vehicles are plying.
” Refreshment parlours should be made available at (say) every 50 / 100 k.m. on all national highways and truck / heavy vehicle drivers should be forced to refresh by having a face wash or by having a cup of tea / coffee.
“Advertisement boards and other items that may obstruct visibility at junctions, curvatures and other parts of the roads should be removed immediately.
He urged that TV and other media be effectively used for public safety awareness with emphasis on the danger inherent in violating road rules and regulations scientific analysis of major accidents / accident prone areas should be taken for the benefit of the public.
He believes that immediate suspension of license of those involved the accidents, at least, until they prove that they are not guilty and cancellation of license of those who made serious accidents will greatly reduce road accident.
On proper maintenance of roads, Johnson called for permanent contracts / arrangements to be in place for maintaining all roads in good condition,24 hours a day, 365 days a year, saying that If a gutter is repaired in time,it can save a life.
He also called for strict enforcement of health of vehicles,periodic eye testing for the aged driving, immediate cancellation of license of drunkard drivers / riders and setting up of Judicial Commission to monitor steps taken to control road accidents.
Such measure,he further advised, should take into consideration straightening / widening of roads and implementation of one way traffic and construction of medians.
” Footpaths and medians should be made mandatory for important roads, Zebra crossings should be provided for pedestrians for safe road crossings at appropriate places in addition to ensuring
signals for road crossings at important busy places, where a large number of people have to cross the road everyday.
” Proper marking of roads and signals, Humps should be provided at all important places, accident prone areas construction, size and shape of the Humps be scientific,” he added, would go along way in reducing carnage on roads.
In all road,it must be stressed that road accident, though inevitable in few instances, is caused largely by human factors, because somebody somewhere failed to adhere strictly to road rules and regulations.
Experts believe that over 90 per cent of crashes being witnessed on Nigerian road, especially as yuletide approaches, need not occur in first place,if priority is given to self discipline by road users,most especially drivers.
The onus rests on critical road drivers to be discipline, positive, sensitive to the feelings of other road users and more committed to the cause of reducing carnage on road, anytime they are on steering conveying passengers to different destinations to ensure safe journey.
This is the best way to travel for celebration of Yuletide with loved ones without tears and anguish.
Ahmed is a blogger, public affairs commentator and media consultant.
