Reducing the carnage on Nigerian roads

The accident – a head-on collision between a bus and a car – turned the scene into a bloodbath as mangled bodies were entangled in wrecked vehicle parts. As officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) used axes and other implements to remove the bodies, travelers and motorists who stopped to watch could not […]

The accident – a head-on collision between a bus and a car – turned the scene into a bloodbath as mangled bodies were entangled in wrecked vehicle parts.

As officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) used axes and other implements to remove the bodies, travelers and motorists who stopped to watch could not hold back tears.

All the 22 victims of the accident could not be identified individually and were later buried in a mass grave at Lokoja.

But, to villagers along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road, such accidents have become a common sight, especially during the last four months of the year – September to December.

Known as “ember months”, the four months always witness increased human and vehicular activities on Nigerian roads as people travel for one festive event or another.

“It is always like this; we always see such horrific scenes that are so bad that no one can pray to experience; not even for one’s worst enemy,’’ lamented Andrew Omachunu, one of those living around the scene of the September 4 accident.

Statistics from the FRSC say a total of 16,478 lives were lost to road accidents in Nigeria between 2006 and 2008.

A breakdown of the figure showed that 4,944 were killed in 2006, while 4,673 were killed in 2007. The figure rose to 6,661 in 2008.

The statistics also indicated that 17,432 were injured in various road accidents in 2006, 17,794 in 2007 and 27,980 in 2008.

The statistics further showed that there were 22,301 accidents in 2006, 22,467

in 2007 and 34,641 mishaps in 2008.

Many Nigerians are worried and hoping that the carnage on Nigerian roads would, at least, reduce.

Miss Amina Dahiru, a third year student of Political Science at the University of Abuja, says the frequency in road accidents is mainly due to over-speeding by drivers eager to make more runs and increase their profit.

“The fear of ‘ember’ months should be the beginning of wisdom. Each time I am traveling during the `ember’ months, I intensify prayers for a safe journey,’’ she says.

The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Mr Osita Chidoka, agreed that accident rate on Nigerian roads worsen in the `ember’ months. He, however, said that the fault was not with the months but with human beings.

According to Chidoka, about 80 percent of road accidents in Nigeria are due to human errors.

He frowned at the attitude of many motorists, especially the commercial drivers, who usually over-speed.

“They overtake dangerously; they overload and they use defective tyres. They hardly respect road signs,’’ he said.

For Alhaji Tanko Abubakar, the Chairman, Kogi State Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), most accidents are actually caused by human factors.

“But, that is just one of the causes. Most of the accidents are caused by the deplorable condition of roads in the country,’’ Abubakar added.

Toyosi Ogunseye, a writer on transportation, said that the ‘ember’ months usually record more accidents due to heightened frenzy of economic activities during the period.

He described September, October, November and December as “racy’’, compared to other months.

According to him, drivers always raced toward all sorts of destinations to maximise profit. He said, however that the bloodbath on the roads would be reduced if people imbibed the culture of “responsible driving’’.

Dr Timothy Johnson, a psychologist, said the best way to minimise accidents would be to “check the level of psychological disposition’’ of drivers.

“This has become necessary because many drivers have been found to be absent-minded while behind the steering,’’ he said.

However, Chidoka, who described the incessant road accidents as “very embarrassing’’, was optimistic that the situation would soon be brought under control.

“We want to assure Nigerians that all obstructions on the highways will be duly cleared.

“Our target is to reduce road accident by 50 percent by 2015, in accordance with the Accra Declaration of 2007,’’ he said.

To do that, Chidoka said that FRSC has intensified its patrol on the roads and also improved on its public enlightenment programmes to educate drivers on the need to drive with caution.

He said that the FRSC has strengthened its logistics, saying that more men were being deployed to the Karara-Cikara axis of Abuja-Lokoja road, known to be notorious for reckless driving and terrible accidents.

He said that the FRSC was also working with concerned organisations to draw government’s attention to the deplorable condition of many roads in the country.

“We want to ensure that pot-holes are filled up as part of concerted effort to reduce road crashes in the country,’’ he said.

In the same vein, Mr Samuel Obayemi, FRSC enlightenment officer, said that road signs have become a priority, especially since most accidents occur at dangerous bends.

He said that more youths were also being trained on the essence of road safety as many of them were either already driving or would soon be behind the steering.

“What we want to do is ensure that they avoid the pitfalls of the adults by the time they would start driving,’’ he said.

Obayemi said that the FRSC was also liaising with the Federal Ministry of Education to design a curriculum for road safety in schools to promote the quest for safe driving.

Already, he said, 716 road safety clubs had been established in schools in some states of the federation.

Mr Benjamin Asuku, a commuter, called on the FRSC to set standard for the approved driving schools in the country, in order to curb the carnage on the roads.

“They must also make sure that such standards are followed. There should be no cutting of corners,’’ he said.

He also advised passengers to always caution drivers whenever they were over-speeding.

It is cheery news that many more are now concerned about the need to address the high rate of accidents on Nigerian roads. It is hoped that the current effort at arresting the situation would go beyond mere rhetorics.

NAN Features