Nigeria Content Online

Last year the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal
Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, made a revelation that was not
only startling but also frightening. According to him, in four months (December
2009 – March, 2010), 7,737 road accidents were recorded in the country. Out of
these, about 1,056 people died and more than 5,000 were injured. Considering
that the figures he gave covered just four months and also given the fact that
we are a country with poor record keeping habits, it is safe to say that the
actual figures might be much higher.

The World Health Organisation in its Global Status Report on
Road Safety 2009, states that over 90% of the world’s fatalities on the roads
occur in low-income and middle-income countries, (LMI) which have only 48% of
the world’s registered vehicles. The organisation predicts that road traffic
injuries will rise to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030. These
are grim predictions.

So far, the Federal Road Safety Commission has done quite well
in its area of jurisdiction but it must continue to educate road users on the
basic safety rules to ensure accident free driving this is critical to reducing
the carnage on our roads.

Few months back, when complaints about the bad state of the
roads were flowing thick and fast, the chant from government officials was that
after the rainy season work would begin on all roads that needed fixing and as
well as new ones.

The rainy season ended more than two months ago and there is no
sign of roads being repaired or new ones being built. It is important for
government to begin to work on these roads. Governments at all levels should
demonstrate their concern about the deplorable state of our roads, because they
are a contributory factor to road accidents.

The federal and state governments should unfold realistic and
achievable plans to enhance safety of road users across the country.

It has been said time without number that creative thinking,
maintenance and enforcement of the laws are what we need to solve the issue of
bad roads in the country. Most of our roads are constructed without
specifications or that these are never adhered to. A situation where overloaded
trucks weighing several tons are allowed to ply the same roads as smaller
vehicles does not make roads last. Many of these heavy duty vehicles create
terrible depression on these roads and sometimes when they break down bonfires
are made to warn oncoming vehicles in the night. This crude and makeshift
method of providing warning signs for drivers damages the road surface, thus
contributing to the dangers on our roads

Our appeal is that the government must manage our roads
according to accepted standards the world over. There is nothing to reinvent
here. The package is a total one that also includes driver education, vigilant
policing, and enforcement of driving regulations and traffic laws. The
consequences of violating road safety laws must be scrupulously applied. The
cost of carelessness about enforcing road safety rules and instituting high
standards in driving and road construction are high. People die.