Road accidents and the ember months syndrome
“I had almost gotten to Kaduna when I had a burst tire and the next thing I saw was the bus skidding off the road. I woke up later on a hospital bed with a strange numb feeling on my left leg. The nurse later told me that I was brought in by concerned Nigerians […]
“I had almost gotten to Kaduna when I had a burst tire and the next thing I saw was the bus skidding off the road. I woke up later on a hospital bed with a strange numb feeling on my left leg. The nurse later told me that I was brought in by concerned Nigerians together with some of my passengers who were involved in the fatal accident and now, I can no longer use my left leg. It is very sad.” he said.
Also recounting his grim ordeal, Bashiru Akogun, a commercial driver who drives a mini bus also known in local parlance as araba between Mararaba and Area one in Abuja explained to this medium that “the accident that occurred along the Kugbo mechanic village axis of the Abuja Keffi road permanently put an end to my driving career especially as I suffered a severe neck and back injury that made it difficult for me to sit down for too long. It was very ghastly and I was lucky to have lived through it.” He explained.
A common feature between Salisu and Akogun’s near death experience is the fact that both are hinged on the fact that both accidents occurred during the period which most people referred to as the ember month’s period.
The Ember months are usually reffered to the calendar months of September to December. These are the months during which a higher incidence of deaths and injuries through road traffic accidents due to the increased number of road users in the run up to the festive season are usually recorded. As it has done over the past several years, it is expected that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will once again embark upon its annual road safety campaign.
At these yearly gatherings the Commission charges all drivers and other road users to be safety conscious and drive responsibly but despite these cautions, the incidences of road traffic crashes have continued to be on the increase with a section of the population ascribing the ugly incidents to the activities of some spiritual forces. One of those who share this view point, a driver, at the national union of road Transport, NURTW, Jabi park unit, Mojeed Sherrif expressed the fears that “from September till December, there are some forces on the roads that increase road accidents because, how else can you explain the reason why road accidents seem to increase during these periods.?” He queried.
Bello Sadiq, a resident of Abuja is of the view that “There are of course many facets to the problem of road traffic accidents, from the poor condition of the roads to unsafe driving practices (including the daredevil antics of the okada motorcyclists) to the absence of ambulance services and trauma units. Some of the reasons identified for the rising rate of deaths include the increasing numbers of vehicles on the roads, poor enforcement of traffic safety regulation (including roadworthiness tests and driver licensing) and poor health infrastructure.” He said.
But while debunking these claims, Nsebong Apkabio who is also the FCT sector commander of the Federal Road Safety commission, FRSC explained that “the insinuations that road traffic accidents are caused by spiritual forces is laughable and irresponsible. The fact remains that over ninety percent of road traffic accidents are due to human causes. We have drivers who will refuse to obey traffic rules and regulations, drivers who despite the fact that they know the dangerous consequences, will still go ahead and buy tokunbo tires and indulge in alcohol while driving. So it is a combination of these factors that are responsible for the accidents you see on the roads and not any spiritual forces.”
Similarly, a private road marshal, Daramola Babajide told this medium that “Surely one of the killer causes of car crashes in the country must be alcohol abuse. Alcoholic drinks are openly sold at motor parks and in the vicinities of bus stops. There were some attempts to ban this practice but this has for the most part not worked. It is not unusual to see the driver of a commercial bus downing a few bottles of gin before embarking on a journey.
It must be said that manufacturers of alcoholic beverages have not been very supportive of anti drink-drive campaigns. Miniature bottles of alcoholic drinks are being targeted at a particular section of the society. Non-commercial drivers (in other word regular folks like you and I) are equally guilty of drinking glasses of wine, beer etc at social gatherings without a thought for safety on the road. In some advanced nations such as the United Kingdom, members of the public have adequate information about the legal alcohol limits.
The legal limit to drive is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Law enforcement agents are equipped with breathalyzers and it is not infrequent to read about high profile people being banned from driving for a period of time for being caught with driving with excessive alcohol in their systems. Simple messages such as: “if you are going out for a drink, then don’t drive” are constantly played to members of the public. What is the legal limit to drive with alcohol in our systems in Nigeria? All those one enquired from (devotees of a good drink themselves) did not seem to have a clue!”
But while speaking on the activities of alcohol sellers at the motor parks, Apkabio explained further that “we have stepped up the campaign against drunken driving and we are also embarking on public enlightenment campaigns to sensitize the public on the implications of driving and drinking. In terms of enforcement, we have arrested and prosecuted over eight hundred persons caught driving under the influence of alcohol and we hope that will serve as a deterrent to others.”
While the FRSC advance human causes as the leading cause of road traffic crashes in Nigeria, others are quick to describe the state of the roads as a contributory factor in the rate of road accidents. For instance, The Lokoja-Abuja Road was recently tagged as a death-trap by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), recording one of the highest accident fatalities in the Nigeria. The Kaduna- Kano Road is decrepit while the federal government has been urged to expediate action on the rail project which will serve as an alternative to road transport system thereby reducing the number of vehicles that ply the Nigerian roads. Recently the Minister of Transport, Ibrahim Bio, announced the Federal Government’s decision rehabilitate the existing rail network and purchase of about 25 new locomotives to enhance movement of people and goods across the country. He also said FG is to spend an additional N6 billion to complete the Ajaokuta-Warri railway project, previously abandoned by the main contractor, Julius Berger Plc, over alleged non-payment for completed jobs on the project. He said the FG had finally settled the previous outstanding balance of N6.5 billion owing to the contractor. But while the government is trying to get its acts together, greater number of Nigerians continue to fall victim of road traffic crashes on a yearly basis.