Curbing Frequent Road Accidents

Statistics released by the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, recently revealed that over 100 persons lose their lives daily to motor accidents on Nigerian road. This sounds alarming!

The disturbing revelation somewhat compels many Nigerians to wonder about the conceivable reasons behind the carnage on the roads and those accountable for the causes.

The intra-city or township roads are not spared of the ordeal, as scores of accidents involving vehicles and motorcycles daily occur, often with several casualties, concerned observers say.

This does not suggest that the government is indifferent to the development, as successive governments have initiated several road safety measures to enhance the road user’s safety.

The federal, state and local governments have spent billions of naira on the reconstruction and maintenance of roads across the country. But this has not intensified road safety.

Observers, nonetheless, note that the deplorable conditions of most of our roads still persists, in spite of the huge resources expended on roads maintenance.

For instance, the federal government set up the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to co-ordinate the maintenance of federal roads while the FRSC is specifically charged with the duty of keeping the roads safe.

Besides, the government has enacted several laws to guide motorists and other road users as part of efforts to enhance safety on the roads.

Some of the laws include the regulation on the use of crash helmets by motorcycle riders, the law on the use of car seat belts and rule outlawing vehicles’ overloading, amongst others. Some state governments have also forbade motorcycle operators from plying in major cities.

The FRSC enforces the regulations and ensures that aberrant road users are apprehended and sanctioned accordingly.

In spite of these multi-faceted efforts, observers note that accidents are still high on the roads regardless of the numerous public sensitization programmes organised by the FRSC and other agencies for the road user.

If all these measures have failed to curb the growing accident rate on our roads, what else will? What then is responsible for the rising menace of the incident on our roads and how can it be effectively addressed?

The FRSC attributes rampant accidents and deaths on the roads to drivers’ over-speeding, vehicles’ overloading and traffic rules’ violation, amongst others.

Mr. G. O. Ukaegbu, (who chose to be so addressed) the staff officer, training, standard and certification, FRSC, Port Harcourt, says that Nigerians are always in a hurry, adding that the hasty disposition of the people partly explains the high rate of accidents on the roads.

He also says that most road users have not imbibed the culture of vehicle maintenance, adding that many vehicle owners still use second-hand tyres, popularly known as “tokunbo tyres”, for their vehicles, in spite of the road safety campaigns on the issue.

However, Mr. Friday Robinson, a driver working for a government agency in Port Harcourt, rejects the notion that road users are entirely to be blamed for the spate of road accidents in the country.

Robinson argues that the deplorable condition of many roads in the country is a major factor responsible for the accidents and carnage on the roads.

He insists that if the government gives more attention to the state of the country’s roads and their maintenance, accidents on the roads will be drastically minimized.

“The government should try and patch up the potholes on our roads. The condition of the roads is quite bad and, therefore, road users cannot be totally blamed for the accidents”, Robinson says.

Mr. Abere Abbey, a civil servant, shares similar sentiments. He says that government at all tiers should take the blame for rising wave of accidents on the roads because of the roads’ terrible conditions.

Mr. Tubotamuno Bobmanuel, an official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Abali Park branch, says that the government and the road users are jointly responsible for the rate of accidents on Nigerian roads.

He says that while the deplorable state of most Nigerian roads is responsible for many road crashes, the deviant behaviour of some drivers, such as excessive speeding, drunk driving also cause some of the accidents.

The road transport union official appeals to the government to urgently tackle problems relating to the poor state of roads across the country, and called for stiffer penalty for violators of road traffic regulations.

Mr. Emmanuel Akoma, the Manager of Enerit Links, Port Harcourt, gives kudos to the men and officers of FRSC. He, however, said that more campaigns should be targeted at truck drivers for a change in attitude.

According to him, this category of drivers are responsible for many accidents on our highway.

Mrs. Agnes Agi, an ex-police traffic warden in Port Harcourt, believes that the road conditions, state of vehicles, as well as over-speeding by motorists are contributory factors to road traffic accidents.

She says that concerted efforts should be made by relevant agencies to ensure that road users, particularly motorists, adhere strictly to road traffic regulations to enhance safety on the roads.

Agi says that vehicles should be subjected to frequent checks and maintenance to lessen the frequency of road accidents due to faulty vehicles.

The dissimilarity of views notwithstanding, many observers believe that the government and the people should make practical efforts to guarantee the safety of Nigerian road users.

Arnold Alalibo