Road safety is a shared responsibility (II)

In the words of the Corps Marshal,  Boboye Oyeyemi, enforcing the speed limiter would make Nigeria join other countries, including African countries like Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, where it has significantly reduced road traffic crashes. He further stressed that the speed limiter initiative could translate to a wholesome reduction of road traffic crashes nationwide by […]

In the words of the Corps Marshal,  Boboye Oyeyemi, enforcing the speed limiter would make Nigeria join other countries, including African countries like Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, where it has significantly reduced road traffic crashes. He further stressed that the speed limiter initiative could translate to a wholesome reduction of road traffic crashes nationwide by at least 35 percent. When phase two of the initiative is extended to other categories of motorists, especially private vehicle owners, road traffic crash fatality would be brought under manageable control in Nigeria, thus giving bite to the goals of the Vision 20:2020 of placing Nigerian roads within the league of the 20 safest global roads.    
He equally called on the media to continue to assist the Commission in disseminating information on this device so that collectively, we can celebrate the restoration of sanity on Nigerian roads. Since the FRSC also has a statutory role to play in road safety matters, he used the platform to brief members of the public on the progress made in the improving the restoration of the integrity of the licensing system in the country. One of these is the improved collaboration between the state governments and the FRSC in the areas of standards, uniformity and integrity of the process. And with such collaborations and the operation of “one stop shop,” at the driver’s licence centres, the apathy of applicants as witnessed at the early stage of the implementation, has been substantially addressed. On the challenge of overcrowding noticed in some centres and the need to address such time consuming experiences by some applicants, he announced that he has made true his promise on assumption to create additional 200 centres across the country, noting that the centers are operational.
Besides the responsibilities of stakeholders like the various transport unions and the Commission, there are other responsibilities like those of drivers, transport operators and even government. Having looked at some of the responsibilities of the first two, I wish to talk briefly on drivers especially because of the notion by some that there is a demon responsible for all the road crashes that would occur. These set of drivers don’t believe that motorists should be blamed. Rather the demon that delight in sucking blood, the same demon that holds sway over the highways will as usual ensure deaths occur. The truth is that road crashes are avoidable even though a good number of people prefer buck passing. Since the discourse is on shared responsibilities, drivers must appreciate the enormous responsibility the possession of a driver’s license places on their shoulders in addition to that of not just being knowledgeable about traffic laws but obeying them also.
For want of space, I intend to just select few driving habits that must change although there are numerous others. Speed is a good place to start. Speed is at the core of the traffic injury problem. It is the major determinant of the extent of injury. It influences both crash risk and crash consequences. The physical layout of the road and its surrounding can both encourage and discourage speed. However, crash riskincreases as speed increases, especially at junctions and while overtaking. The effect of impact-speed on the risk of death for pedestrians is colossal, but for vehicle occupants also, injury severity increases with impact-speed. The higher the speed of a vehicle, the shorter time the driver has to stop and avoid a crash. This is why the possibility of fatal injury increases from close to zero to almost 100 percent as the change in impact-speed increases from 20km per hour to 100km per hour. A car travelling at 50km per hour will typically require 1.3metres to stop while a car is travelling at 40km per hour  will stop in less than 8.5metres.An average increase speed of1km per hour is associated with a 3 percent higher risk of a crashinvolving an injury. Travelling at 5km per hour above a road speed limit of 65km per hour results in an increase in the relative risk of being involved in a casualty crash that is comparable with having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05g/dl. For car occupants in a crash with an impact-speed of 80kmhour the likelihood of deaths is 20 times what it would have been at an impact speed of 30kmhour. It is because of the grave risk involved that a maximum speed limit of 100km per hour for private cars and 90km per hour for taxis and buses is set on the expressway while in built-up areas such as commercial and residential areas; 50km per hour is the speed limit. However, drivers are counselled to adhere to commonsense speed limit by adjusting speed to suit environment, his mental state and experience.
Tyre blowout is among the major causes of road crashes that have claimed the lives of some prominent Nigerians. Incidentally, motorists exhibit a high level of ignorance which explains why you will see people travelling with their families with fairly used tyres or tyres not properly cared for. The major cause of tyre blowout is incorrect tyre inflation, especially under-inflation. Tyres are the most vital part of a car, they determine stability. That is why tyre manufacturers specify the correct tyre guage and the expiry date which is usually stamped on the side of the tyre. IT IS VERY EASY TO FIND OUT THE EXPIRY DATE. Just check the side and you will find a 4-digit number stamped on it. This number indicates the week and year of manufacture and the expiry date will be four years. Manufacturers also indicate the maximum allowable inflating pressure for specific tyres, different tyres are designed for different pressures. Unfortunately, most of us careless about this vital information and have become victims of quacks marauding as vulcanizers. Under-inflation causes two things that ultimately lead to blowouts. First, it causes undue flexing of the tyres as the vehicle speeds along the undulating surface of the road. This causes a separation between the internal materials used in making the tyres and the rubber flesh that holds the materials. This separation weakens the tyre. Secondly, it causes an increase in what is known as rolling resistance as the vehicle moves. The increased rolling resistance generates a tremendous amount of heat which together with the separation of the internal materials leads to an explosion.
To be continued

Incorrect tyre inflation could also cause crash in other ways-When a tyre is incorrectly inflated it makes a partial contact with the road surface and so does not have a firm grip on the surface. With over inflation, the edges of the contact patch (the part of the tyre that should be in contact with the road surface)does not touch the ground. In the case of under-inflation, the crown(the middle portion of the tyre) of the contact patch does not touch the gound. Either way, you have an impartial contact of the tyre on the road surface and so less grip. The impartial contact could cause crash thus; since the tyres don’t have a firm grip on the road surface, it prolongs the stopping distance when the brakes are applied in an emergency and this could make the vehicle crash into the object it wants to avoid. It could also lead to loss of control of the vehicle when speeding. This is more with over-inflated tyres. High vehicles like trailers could lose their balance when they hit a bump, pot-hole or while descending a sharp bend. The situation can be likened to someone with one leg shorter than the other.
Seat belt, one of the most effective means of reducing deaths and injury for vehicle occupants is the use ofseat-belt by all occupants in the front and rear seats as contained in section 58(3) and (4)of the National Road Traffic Regulations (2004). Seat-belt use saves. They don’tprevent crashes but play a crucial role in reducing the severity of injury to vehicle occupants. Vehicle safety features are distinguished by “primary safety and secondary safety.”Primary safety features aim to prevent an accident taking place, e.g. good brakes and tyres. Secondary safety features aim to prevent or minimise injury to a vehicle occupant once the accident has occurred. Seat-belts are a secondary safety device with a number of objectives which includes preventing ejection from the vehicle in an impact, reducing the risk of contact with the interior of the vehicleor reducing the speed of such impacts, providing a distributed force to the wearer to give the necessary support in an accident and restraining the vehicle occupant before guiding them back into their seats.
While we emphasise seat-belt for adults we must remember that the safest way to carry a child and to protect that child is to use a child seat that is suitable for the weight and size of that child. Do you now that even at a minor crash; an unrestrained child would be thrown about inside the vehicle, injuring themselves and others? They could also be thrown from the car through one of the windows. Do you also know that in a crash at just30km per hour, an unrestrained child would be thrown forward with a force, 30 to 60 times their body weight? They would be thrown about inside the vehicle, injuring themselves and quite seriously injuring or even killing other people inside the vehicle. Do you know that it is not safe to hold a child on your laps? In a crash, the child could be crushed between our body and part of the car’s interior? That even if you were using a seat belt, the child would be torn from your arms and you would not be able to hold onto to them, no matter how hard you try. Do you also know that it is also dangerous to put a seat-belt around yourself and a child or around two children; or to carry that child or children in the front passengers’ seat or on your tummy? That the safest way to travel with that child no matter the distance is a child seat or restraints?
Lastly, there is the responsibility of government to ensure the appropriate structures are in place. The present government’s efforts in fixing the roads are commendable but we still need the appropriate government agencies to ensure the standard road infrastructure is put in place.