OPINION: DEFIANCE TO DRIVING RULES: A major cause for incessant road accident in Nigeria
By Mukhtar Garba Kobi (08100358411)
Travelling from one place to another started from the time immemorial, primitive generations used several ways on seas and land; they used animals such as camels, donkeys, horses, chariots, etc for their journey or delivery of goods. The advancement in technology has brought immeasurable developments, it eases the tediousness and perturbing harsh weather one encounters in desert or snowy places. The invention of fuel driven bikes and automobiles has made the past methods almost obsolete but still they are used in villages. Yet, despite the limitless development in transport, there is significant increase in incidences of mobility and mortality rates due to road accidents. Road accidents are significantly high in most developing countries and Nigeria is one of them, the accidents have claimed many lives and at the same time cripple the economy of both the individual and country at large.
Innocent souls are being lost on almost daily basis due to preponderance of road accidents; that was why Federal Road Safety Corps was established in 1988 with statutory responsibilities for road safety administration in Nigeria. The major cause of road accidents in Nigeria is heavily defiance to enshrined driving rules which are set to guide drivers on the way for safe journey and there is need to take road accidents as issue that require urgent interventions. Furthermore, the inevitable corruption which has eaten deep in to the flesh and bones of Nigerians and officers responsible for traffic rules has continue to drag us aback; it bred people that should have no business on wheels drive. According to NaijaAuto.com there are 3 ways one could choose to have drivers’ license; the first one is enduring the strenuous task of applying for new drivers’ license at FRSC office.
Similarly, the second one was negotiating with express license agents to get everything done at high price and the last one is stealing a deal with fake license makers with much less money. The majority of people prefer to spend much by taking the second mentioned method which is a threat to safety of other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Some of the core causes of road accidents comprises over-speeding, over-loading and carefree over-taking; some drivers drive in high speed not minding the passengers they carry, before leaving bus stations they usually jam-packed the bus with both over-passengers and loads. Also, negligence to laid down driving rules has been the major cause of accidents, some drivers are aware of such rules while others are disobeying them out of knowledge.
Also, some drivers fully knew their vehicle need to be serviced but still ignore such and travel like that which at the end lead to technical faults amidst forest or sometimes stoppage of engine while on road which led to unforeseen accident or head collisions. Consequently, consuming intoxicants and hard drugs is another cause of accidents; some drivers could not take to wheel without abusing drugs; they are addicted which make them see drugs and intoxicants like ordinary sweet. As the festive period of Eid is fast approaching, the rate of travelling would increase and number of traffic agents that supposed to be on major roads are not enough to reach out down to villages where most driving rules violation is rampant. Abiding to driving rules is important as it reduces rate of accidents, passengers also contributed in accident as some of them pressurize drivers to drive fast while others remain mute despite been driving recklessly.
The level of orientation down to rural areas is obviously low, FRSC is really trying in adverts and jingles on radio and televisions but the language been used was English which most rural dwellers find it hard to comprehend. Few incidences of road accidents attract investors from abroad to invest in a country; that could lead to development in businesses and help a country out of recession. In order to minimize and prevent road accidents in Nigeria, government at all levels should take construction of new roads in areas that seriously need them and expanding narrow ones; the narrow ones become congested and hard to pass during festivities. Speed limit devices should be made compulsory to drivers of personal and public vehicles; also anyone caught carrying loads more than required should be punished irrespective of whoever he or she is.
There is paramount need for authorities responsible for maintaining traffic regulations to install Closed Circuit (CCTV) cameras at strategic locations which could assist in detecting and identifying traffic offenders easily. Road Safety officers and other sister agents should be granted the mandate to arrest anyone that violates driving rules, immunity which some leaders enjoy and do whatever they like on the roads should be minimized or totally abrogated. Heavy delivery vehicles that over-speed in towns should have specific location at outskirt of cities so that they could be parked there and smaller vehicles should be used in conveying what they bring in to markets. Reckless driving under the influence of intoxicants should attract huge fines or serving for months in correctional centres, doing this would serve as deterrent to victims and any station that allows such drivers operate deserve to be closed.
May We Have An Accident Free Eid Celebrations.
