Beyond FRSC’s Speed Limiter

On October 1, this year, the Federal road Safety
Corps (FRSC) commenced the enforcement of the speed limiter on commercial vehicles across the country. This, to me, is a welcome development in Nigeria, especially against the backdrop of the fact that over speeding accounts for majority of road accidents in the country.
Speed limiter is a device that limits or regulates the kilometer a vehicle should run per hour. In Nigeria, the speed limit device is calibrated to 95 kilometres per hour. This means that no matter how a driver accelerates, the vehicle would not go beyond the speed limit. This is decent enough considering the recklessness of most Nigerian drivers on the roads.
Although it is a new innovation in Nigeria, the device has been in use in all advanced countries like the United States of America, Britain, France etc for decades. It is one of the reasons why these countries experience reduced rates of accidents on their roads.
Even in Nigeria, studies have shown that companies which installed speed limiters in their vehicles record fewer crashes and even when they are involved in accidents, the severity is usually less. At least, I know of some transport companies such as ABC Transport, God is Good Motors, and even major oil marketers in the country which experience low rates of accidents due to the installation of speed limiters on their vehicles.
There is no gainsaying the fact that majority of road crashes in Nigeria are caused by over speeding. Many people have died as a result of this, while some others have been permanently injured.
According to figures by the FRSC, 10,050 people die yearly in road carnages. Statistically, this translates to 27 deaths on our roads daily and this excludes hundreds of victims who suffer various degrees of injuries and permanent disabilities from such road crashes.
On March 6, this year, for instance, Nigeria lost its Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Barrister James Ocholi to road accident along the Kaduna – Abuja Expressway, alongside his wife and son.
Just recently too, over 40 lives were lost to road carnages in three crashes in different locations in the country. The three accidents, according to the FRSC, were as a result of over speeding. In fact, 50 percent of road crashes in Nigeria, according to FRSC, are due to over speeding.
However, while it is unarguable that the introduction of speed limiter is long overdue and a good measure to reduce the rate of road carnage in the country, I want to suggest that other causes of accidents on our roads must be addressed. These include bad roads, overloading, poor vehicle maintenance, bad driving habits, bad weather and even fatigue
For instance, it is unthinkable that despite huge budgetary allocations to the federal ministry of works on yearly basis, some of our federal roads are still death traps. It took the Federal Government several years before work started on East-West Road which serves as the major link between the South West, South East and South South. Even at that, the road is yet to be completed.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has been left unattended to for several years, despite its socio-economic importance. Every successive government pays lip service to the road. Other federal roads suffer the same fate if not even worse. Therefore, while we embrace the introduction of the speed limiter in the country, it is also necessary we fix all our roads not only to check the rate of accidents on our highways, but also to ease movements across the country.
Meanwhile, road users should exercise caution when driving on danger spots like potholes ridden portions, dangerous bends and roads that have been eaten up by erosion, among others.
However, I think the FRSC has the responsibilities of ensuring that road users, especially drivers, comply strictly with traffic rules and regulations. I say this because research has shown that majority of road crashes are caused by human errors.
Take for instance, the use of seat belts while driving. In advanced world, the non-use of seat belts constitutes serious offence and attracts serious sanctions. In Nigeria, our law enforcement agencies merely pay lip service to its enforcement. Ditto for the use of worn-out tyres, which accounts for high percentage of road accidents in the country.
It is sad to note that Nigeria has become a dump site for sub-standard and expired tyres, the same way it plays host to other sub-standard and expired products such as drugs and foods.
Again, the condition of many vehicles in the country is pathetic. If the FRSC and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) can live up to their responsibilities, by ensuring that rickety vehicles that are not in perfect condition are taken off our roads, road crashes caused by badly managed vehicles would reduce to the barest minimum.
What I am saying in a nutshell is that, while the introduction and enforcement of speed limiter on vehicles will go a long way in reducing the rate of road carnages in Nigeria, it is also important we take into cognizance some other factors that can save lives and properties on our roads.
Gbufor is a student of Abia State University, Uturu

Ijeoma Gbufor