Re-focusing FRSC for accident prevention

Thousands of Nigerians are preparing to travel for the end of year holidays and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is set once again to retrieve corpses from our highways as the “ember” months claim their annual quota of lives. Although much publicity is given to the “ember” months, the reality is that carnage on […]

Thousands of Nigerians are preparing to travel for the end of year holidays and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is set once again to retrieve corpses from our highways as the “ember” months claim their annual quota of lives. Although much publicity is given to the “ember” months, the reality is that carnage on our roads is an all year round affair in which hundreds are killed and thousands injured annually. Regrettably the establishment and operations of the FRSC has done little to reduce the carnage. It’s pertinent to note that countries with the best road safety records in the world don’t have dedicated road safety organizations.
The reason why FRSC has failed to significantly reduce the accident rate despite its phenomenal growth as an organization isn’t hard to find. The Corps was established as a result of research work on accident prevention carried out in University of Benin (UNIBEN). The researchers claim that the way FRSC has evolved is responsible for the continuing high accident rates. They expressed dismay that FRSC has taken on an unnecessarily over-expanded role and practical actions to prevent accidents no longer seems to be their priority. The UNIBEN Professors claim FRSC has overlooked the key inference from the research i.e. that speed in itself doesn’t cause accidents.
They point to Formula-1 (F1) Motor Racing where vehicles reach speeds of over 200kmph but there are few accidents and loss of life is rare. They identified four reasons for this good safety record. Firstly F1 drivers are highly trained, secondly F1 cars are in top condition, thirdly the race tracks have adequate hazard warning signs, and lastly the tracks are in perfect condition and because all the cars move in the same direction there are no head on collisions. Unfortunately FRSC appears not to have taken these lessons on board. Most fatal accidents are caused by bad driving such as blindly overtaking on a hill or corner rather than by speeding.
Eliminating these types of accidents means ensuring drivers understand the highway-code and possess requisite driving skills. Advanced nations achieve this through standard driving tests conducted by trained government employees. Rather than emulate this tried and tested method, FRSC abdicates responsibility and instead concentrates on the lucrative matter of issuing driving licenses to persons who can’t actually drive!  Accidents are also caused by un-roadworthy vehicles whose brakes fail or tyres pull off.
Although ensuring vehicles are roadworthy is the responsibility of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) it’s an open secret that they issue “Certificate of Roadworthiness” without even setting eyes on the vehicle! This separation of powers has led to a ridiculous situation in which FRSC routinely stop roadworthy vehicles in the middle of nowhere on the expressways to demand for particulars, fire extinguisher or “c-caution” which have nothing to do with accident prevention, while doing nothing about dangerously overloaded trailers vomiting black exhaust fumes, with dodgy brakes, missing or worn out tyres and precariously balanced cargoes who continue merrily on their way to claim lives further down the road.
Preventing accidents by placing warning signs and demarcating traffic diversions is a task FRSC long since abandoned as a result it’s common to see vehicles plying both sides of the expressway in both directions! This aside one of the most effective methods of reducing accidents is to identify and take action on notorious spots where accidents occur regularly. In the 1960’s the UK adopted an accident “black spot policy” under which areas where accidents occurred regularly were identified. The “black spot” classification meant the public was sensitized, warning signs were placed and the section of road was constantly patrolled with the aim of eradicating regular accidents at that location until the black spot classification could be removed.
It was a practical, successful and measurable method of reducing accidents. Although the poor condition of our roads can’t be blamed on FRSC, in the old days it was less of a problem because they used to place warning signs on approaches to failed portions of road. The matter of reducing accidents by ensuring that there are no head on collisions at high speed is a question of proper road design. No amount of speed restriction will stop these accidents from occurring and being fatal.  Whenever vehicles approach themselves head-on at speeds of over 50kmph the road should be a dual carriageway.
The FRSC must be repositioned to make accident prevention on the highways their only task priority. They must be stopped from issuing driving licenses and harassing motorists within city limits. They should be given the authority to detain un-roadworthy commercial Trailers, Lorries, Buses and Taxis which are involved in the bulk of accidents. Their uniformed full time staff who are increasingly visible inside cities  (and even the international airport!) must return to the highways and concern themselves less with issuing fines and tickets which only increase the internally generated revenue and do nothing to reduce the accident rate and more with accident prevention.