Curbing the Carnage On Our Roads

Road accidents are perennial problems of Nigeria. Almost daily road accidents are reported in this country with loss of lives and properties. This is very unfortunate. Those who are driving should always drive with great care while driving innocent citizens so that lives could be saved. In the meantime, ninety people died in an accident which occurred in Kogi State. According to reports, the ‘accident happened when a trailer carrying fertilizer lost control and ran into a market killing the victims and injuring thirty-eight others. The accident occurred in the Dekina Local Government Area of the State. Properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed.
In his remarks, the Governor of the State, Mr Ibrahim Idris described the accident as very tragic. He stated that it was the saddest day of his life. The Governor challenged officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps to buckle up and stop some of these road accidents by effectively checking the vehicles and their drivers before allowing them to go on the roads. Governor Idris who visited the scene to have a first hand information of the accident directed that the thirty-eight injured people receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the Dekine General Hospital should be transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, and the State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, for proper medical treatment. He said, the state government would settle the bill of the medical treatment and pay the burial expenses of the dead persons. The accident occurred on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Also speaking, the sector Commander of Ankpa Unit of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Abdul Adejo said the accident was as a result of reckless driving on the part of the driver and brake failure.
Similarly fifty people were killed in an accident involving a trailer and fourteen other vehicles at the New Market area of Felele on the outskirt of Kwara State. The accident happened on March 9, 2010. According to reports, the trailer” developed a brake failure and ran into the victims. Also, seventeen people were killed in a road accident which occurred in Okeho in the Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State. The deceased were burnt to death when the 1S-seater bus in which they were travelling skipped off the road and crashed into a valley. The dead bodies of the victims were given a mass burial at the Sango Cemetery, lbadan. The accident occurred on December 12, 2009.
As already noted, drivers should take extra care whenever they are driving innocent citizens. Life, it should be stressed, has no duplicate. Those who have died in these accidents cannot be brought back to life again. This is why we appeal to drivers to observe traffic rulers anytime they are on the drivers seat. Most of the accidents on our roads are caused by reckless driving by some drivers.
In the Isolo area of Lagos an accident occurred on December 19, 2009, that took some lives. According to reports, tile accident occurred when a trailer loaded with bags of rice lost control and killed the victims. Many others sustained various degrees of injuries. The trailer lost control while approaching Oke Afo after its brake failed. Some traffic police officers later arrived the scene to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Earlier on August 3, 2009, nine people were killed in a road accident on the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi Road. The accident occurred when a trailer crashed into an 18-seater Toyota Hiace commercial bus. The nine passengers died on the spot. According to reports, the accident happened when one of the tyres of the trailer got burst. Because of this, the driver lost control and hit the Toyota bus. The Federal Road Safety Corps Unit Commander, Mr Thomas Odia attributed the cause of the accident to over speeding. The bodies of the victims were later taken to the Iruephen Central Hospital Ekpoma. This accident occurred after twenty-two people were killed in an accident near Odogbohi in Ogun State. The accident happened on the Sagamu Ore-axis of Lagos-Benin Expressway. The” victims of the accident were Enugu bound traders. The victims, it was further learnt, were held captive by armed robbers when they were crushed. The armed robbers seized their luxury bus, ordered them out and asked them to lie with their
faces downward on the road side. The trailer which was trying to avoid obstacles mounted by the armed robbers ran over them killing them on the stop.
Bauchi State has also had its own share of road accidents. For instance, eleven people were killed while several others were seriously injured in a ghastly road accident which occurred in the Gudi village near Bauchi. The accident involved an Izuzu bus with registration number AA4B SKP belonging to the Bauchi State Government and a Peugeot State Wagon with registration number AA72NNG. The two cars were involved in a head-on collision. The injured were taken to the Bauchi State Specialist Hospital for treatment. In his remarks, the head of operations, Bauchi State Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps Mr Muazu Aliyu attributed the accident to over speeding and overloading. He called for regular workshop for drivers.
Drivers should avoid alcoholic drinks and hard drugs while on the steering. Drunkenness is one of the causes of road accidents in Nigeria. Traffic rules should be obeyed by drivers always. Drivers should make sure that their vehicles are in good condition at all times to avoid brake failures. If all these are adhered to road accidents will be minimal and loss of lives checked.
Dr Tolofari is a Fellow, Institute Of Corporate Administration of Nigeria.

Mann Tolofari