Taming the tide of road crash deaths and injuries in Nigeria

Last week Tuesday, about 19 people died in a road crash at Hawan Kibo, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Five of them were personnel of the Nigerian Air Force. Reports suggest that their vehicle had a head-on collision with an oncoming truck. This is just one of the many accidents that occurred in […]

Last week Tuesday, about 19 people died in a road crash at Hawan Kibo, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Five of them were personnel of the Nigerian Air Force. Reports suggest that their vehicle had a head-on collision with an oncoming truck.

This is just one of the many accidents that occurred in Nigeria that day.

Road crashes in the country have become one too many. This has made a lot of people to dread making trips via the road, or see a successful road trip as an achievement as most cannot afford other means of transportation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) every year, over 39,000 Nigerians die from road crashes. In the 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety, WHO estimated road traffic fatalities in Nigeria at 39,802, while the estimated rate per 100,000 deaths stood at 21.4.

• Why restoration of vandalised towers is slow – TCN
• We’ll only call off strike when we receive payment alerts –SSANU

In 2021 the death rate per country for Nigeria was 17.4% per 213, 401.323 population.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said in spite of measures implemented and innovative solutions by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) against reckless driving and improper use of roads, road traffic crashes killed 2776 people – with 16,000 injured between January to July 2024.

Speaking during the launch of a Mobile Application and National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS) by the FRSC, he said, the figures call for concern and that there was the need for urgent action towards reducing the burden of road crashes in the country.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that in the first quarter of this year, a total of 1,169 males were killed, accounting for 79.50% of 1,471 persons killed, compared to 302 (20.50%) females killed.

It also showed that a total of 6,749 males were injured during the period, indicating 77.90% of 8,659 injured persons compared to 1,910 (22.10%) females injured.

It said a total of 3,952 vehicles were involved in road traffic crashes in the first quatre of 2024, lower compared to the previous quarter which recorded 4,195, indicating a decrease of 5.80%.

However, it revealed that the total number of road traffic crashes recorded in Nigeria was 2,662, indicating a decrease of 2.02% from the previous quarter which recorded 2,717 and a 3.00% fall from 2,733 in the first quatre of 2023.

According to the data, “Of all crashes, serious cases stood top in Q1 2024 with 1,715 compared to fatal and minor cases with 693 and 254 respectively. In addition, the three categories of cases recorded a decline in the quarter under review relative to the preceding quarter.”

However, experts say despite the reduction in incidents, the number of cases and injuries in the country remained alarmingly high, with each case leaving in its wake health loss, economic and productive losses among others.

The experts said there was need for increased efforts towards reducing road traffic-related deaths and injuries in line with the 2020 UN Decade of Action and 2030 SDG 3.6 targets.

The trends also showed that road crashes in Nigeria are higher during what is popularly called the ‘Ember’ months, that is the months of September to December.

Prince Ache Julius Ogu, Chairman, Coalition of Road Safety NGOs in Nigeria (CORSAN) said the statistics in Nigeria are alarming.

He said over two million Nigerians are affected by road crashes annually. Road traffic injuries are a leading cause of disability and death among young adults.

Quoting WHO, he said Nigeria has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world, with 21.4 deaths per 100 million vehicle-kilometers traveled.

Ogu who is also the Chief Executive Officer Road Accident Prevention Network Center (RAPNEC NG), added that traumatic injuries are recorded for the road traffic crashes and that trauma is estimated to account for 15% of global disease burden.

Comrade, Chimeremeze Uche C., CEO and founder of Accident Victims Assistance and Hospitality Initiatives (AVAHI) said it is important to reduce road traffic crashes because no victim remains the same after each incident.

He said his NGO works as first responders at the scenes of accidents, rescues accident victims, moves them to the hospital, stands as their next of kin, pays their first or initial hospital bills and use any possible means available to unite them with their loved ones within 22 hours of the accident.

He said, “A road crash does not leave the person affected the same way. It leaves the person with one disability or the other. The person could have minor injuries or permanent disability or leaves some of them dead.

“Those with permanent disability may not be able to provide for the family. Their business or work suffers. The children could suffer without a breadwinner or someone to pay their school fees.

“Their spouses suffer, if the person affected spends like three or more months in the hospital, the caregiver also suffers. There will be financial loss. It also causes trauma to victims and their families or loved ones.”

EXPERIENCES OF VICTIMS

Dauda had an accident some years ago and lost his sense of hearing. “It took me a long while with the support of friends and family to get a prescribed hearing aid that helps me now.”

Ladi Okeme lost her dad to a road traffic accident. He had left home last year for an official assignment in the neighbouring town. The bus he was traveling in had a head-on collision with a trailer. The trailer was trying to dodge a pothole on the road.

Eight persons lost their lives including her dad while some were left with varying degrees of injuries.

It is a pain she is yet to overcome. She said his death left a vacuum in the lives of her mother and three siblings.

For a 25-year-old man, who simply want to be identified as Musa, his father had gone for a colleague’s burial ceremony in a nearby town when he had an accident that left him with a spinal cord injury.

He said, “Even though he lived for about a year before he died, he was really traumatized and couldn’t do anything by himself self. We went to several hospitals, met different doctors where he underwent corrective surgeries but he never walked or got better. He died just days after another surgery. ”

Mrs Dupe Olarewaju said her husband had gone for a meeting in the town but died in an accident on his way home. He suffered a head injury that kept him in hospital for months. When the family thought he was getting better, he succumbed to the injuries. She said it was devastating as she had lost a relative from another road crash not long before.

“The relative went for a religious ceremony with other women in her church but died on their way back,” she said

MAJOR DRIVERS OF ROAD CRASH, DEATHS & INJURIES IN NIGERIA

 

Ogu said the drivers are multifaceted and include:

-Speeding: Excessive speed is a leading factor in road crashes, reducing reaction time and increasing severity of accidents.

-Poor road infrastructure: Badly maintained or poorly designed roads contribute to accidents.

-Reckless driving: Aggressive driving behaviors, such as overtaking and disregard for traffic rules.

-Vehicle condition: Poorly maintained vehicles, including issues with brakes, tires, and lights.

-Distracted driving (including texting): Divided attention while driving, increasing risk of accidents.

-Drunk driving: Impaired judgment and reaction time due to alcohol consumption.

-Lack of enforcement: Inadequate traffic law enforcement and weak penalties.

-Driver fatigue: Driving while tired or exhausted.

On his part, Comrade Chimeremeze Uche C., CEO and founder Of Accident Victims Assistance and Hospitality Initiatives (AVAHI), said one of the major drivers is the poor road network and the deplorable state of roads in Nigeria.

He said, “Another driver is ‘distracted driving’ that is making calls while driving, jisting while driving, and eating, carrying children in the front seat of the vehicle, among others. So there is, lack of concentration.

“Another major factor fueling road traffic crashes is narcotics. That is substance usage among drivers, especially commercial drivers.”

Last month, a statement from the FRSC Headquarters said the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, has been warning fleet operators, other commercial drivers and patronisers of night trips to desist from night trips as it was also contributing to road crashes.

He said night trips are unsafe and dangerous because they are often characterised by poor visibility, fatigue, sleeping on wheels and excessive speeding.

The statement was in reaction to fatal crashes recorded at night, which led to the deaths of several road users and left others with injuries.

“He warned that inasmuch as the corps does not have the statutory powers to ban night trips, it has become very critical for patronisers of night trips to retrace their steps and plan their journeys in the day time, because often times, when a crash occurs away from FRSC rescue points, it is always difficult to access help for motorists at night.

“The corps marshal, while speaking extensively on why night trips should be avoided, lamented that on 8 September 2024 alone, an avoidable fatal crash occurred in Lapai, Niger State where four vehicles were caught up in an inferno that killed 37 people on the spot. This crash occurred as a result of a combination of factors namely; speed violation and fatigue.”

He lamented that “while we are yet to recover from the shock of the Lapai crash, another one occurred on Thursday 12 September, 2024, killing 18 people still because of night trips,” the statement said.

WAY OUT – EXPERTS

Prince Ache Julius Ogu, Chairman, Coalition of Road Safety NGOs in Nigeria (CORSAN), said there are short and long-term solutions. The short-term solutions are: Enhanced enforcement: Increased traffic policing and stricter penalties; Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating drivers on safe practices, Vehicle Inspection: Regular checks on vehicle condition and emergency services as well as Improved response times.

The long-term solutions include:

– Infrastructure development: Upgrading road networks and design.

– Driver education: Comprehensive training and licensing.

– Safety regulations: Implementing and enforcing safety standards.

– Technology integration: Utilising safety features in vehicles. And

– Cultural shift: Encouraging responsible driving behaviors.

He said that additional measures to address texting and driving specifically include;

– Public awareness campaigns highlighting dangers.

– Implementing laws banning phone use while driving.

– Promoting hands-free technologies.

– Encouraging passengers to speak up.

– In-vehicle reminders and alerts.

He said, “By addressing these factors and implementing both short-term and long-term solutions, Nigeria can reduce road crash deaths and injuries.”

Chimeremeze on his part said he, along with other stakeholders, had a workshop recently with the minister of transportation and reducing traffic crashes was top discussions.

He said the recommendations included that Nigerian road be properly designed, according to international best practice and also called the International Road Assessment Programme (IRAP) which, he said, the UN Decade of Action also recommends all member state to adopt.

“There is a standard of road that is supposed to be built in urban cities across the globe. It has the capacity of accommodating lanes for pedestrians, bikers, articulated vehicles, small vehicles, and even bicycles,” he said.

He said another recommendation was that, the Federal Ministry of Works, Transportation and COREN, should work hand in hand in designing and building the road networks.

Chimeremeze said the quality and standard of the asphalt on the roads should be improved, adding that there should be a strong policy that forbids contractors from doing substandard jobs.

“Another thing is that every company that does Nigerian roads, or concerns Nigerian roads, should be given the leverage of maintaining that road for the next 10 years,” he added.

He further said another recommendation made was that the sale of narcotic substances and alcohol should stop henceforth in all Nigerian parks towards stopping drivers from driving under the influences of the substances.

Chimeremeze also called for regular eye and other health checkups for drivers, as well as training, and retraining any time they went to renew their driver’s licenses.

All this, with stakeholders working together, will help reduce the incidents of injuries and deaths from road traffic crashes between now and 2030, he said.

He also called for the establishment of a road crash victims fund to assist them with the payment of hospital bills and enable them to survive or start off again especially where there is a disability.

The spokesman of the FRSC, Olusegun Ogungbemide, who is also the Corps Public Education Officer, said the commission is working tirelessly to make Nigerian roads safer.

He said the corps was doing a lot, including commencing a safety campaign on Wednesday, during which it will address stakeholders on what it has done and is still doing to ensure that the roads are safe for all Nigerians.

He also said a lot of activities to prevent road crashes and ensure that people plying roads are safe have been lined up for the Ember months.

He said the safety campaign this year is mostly focused on passengers. “That means the passengers right to speak out. So we are basing that on the premise that when crashes happen, passengers are injured more.

“So every passenger has a responsibility to himself and his family to speak out whether he or she notices any wrongdoing on the part of the driver, and they are equally supposed to maintain high level of comportment when they are traveling so they don’t distract the driver.

“For the ember months’ safety campaigns, our vehicles, our personnel, our website, clinics, radio and all that is required is everywhere, just to ensure that this year’s Ember month is a huge success, a great improvement upon what we achieved last year. So that’s our target for these years,” he added.