Date Published: 03/26/10

ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION By Niran Abitogun

Their parents grieved in total loss, some in anguish and in pains of losing loved ones while the public and other road users expressed shock following the road mishap in which 9 pupils of Aricent Nursery and primary school Ore, Ondo State were killed and several others were injured on Ondo –Ore road some three weeks ago. The victims were returning from an excursion to Idanre hills where they have gone to see how nature has given human race history and wonders. For few of them it could be a life time opportunity while few may have the rare opportunity to visit the place again.

This life time experience turned out to be a sad journey undertook on a bad day and on a bad road conducted by bad driver who crashed the little and innocent kids owing to his misjudgement of other road users. This is just one of the countless numbers of road traffic accidents happening on our roads daily carrying with it some gruesome effects both to the families of the victims and the nation at large.

The road traffic mishap is a global phenomenon seen in the eye of the World Health Organisation (WHO), as an epidemic depleting human population. In one of its reports this inter-governmentalbody notes that 1.26million people are killed and up to 5million injured and disabled annually as a result of road traffic crashes worldwide. It goes further to show that over 75 per cent of these causalities occur in developing countries of the world. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) alluded to this fact when it says death per 1000 vehicles involved in accident was 161.

Also WHO indicates that traffic is already cause number one for young people death between the age of 16 and 24years and equally ranked second in the death of those in the age bracket of 15 to 44years? The revelation which includes its immediate impacts on the world economy put the losses at about $500billion across the globe. It explain further that for developing countries the economic losses is estimated to be in the range of 1.5 to 2 percent of Gross Domestic Production (GDP) nearly $100billion. This is one of the responsible factors for poverty in the developing nations. In the last couple of years many nations are recording appreciable decrease in road traffic accidents but the reverse has been the case in the developing countries because statistics have it that the  problems are on the increase.

Nigeria through its agency FRSC has over the last two decades engage in mounting strategies to combat the ever growing problem. These set of strategies which falls under education, enforcement, engineering are generally geared toward achieving specific goals such as improved attitude, skills, behaviours, knowledge and awareness among road users; perhaps have not gone that far into curtailing  the nuisance of drivers on our roads.

Some of the factors causing road accidents are speed, drink-driving, old vehicles without safety features, bad road, non-compliant with basic rules and regulations e.g. non-use of seat belt, poorly designed roads among others. Of all this factors the drivers are the agent which accounts for more than 80 per cent of the errors. The focus therefore, should be how to achieve attitude change amongst Nigerian drivers who happily kill on our roads through their activities. Even when they know that the road is bad they still tend to speed, make dangerous overtaking at the crest of the hill, ignore any advice to maintain their vehicles, disobey the least traffic regulations and give no regard to safety measures as contained in the Highway Code. For instance drink-driving is a common occurrence within the commercial drivers. They neither show respect for other road users nor for the lives of passengers inside their vehicles. The driver who got those kids killed on Ondo-ore road must have simply ignored and misjudged on-coming vehicle’s speed on that day in question consequently sent those innocent lives into the early graves.

Roads in Nigeria are nothing to write home about. Virtually all our roads are begging for serious attention. The Ore-Benin road developed from potholes to gorges infected, which had once attracted tears from a former minister when she visited a portion of the road two years ago. The tears have not even translated to repairs or positive development since then rather we witness gory scene of accidents and lives are wasted on daily basis. No asphalt cover due to total lack of maintenance, no road signs to create awareness to road users, poor visibility from overgrown vegetations  all these albatross put together creates their own deficiencies while the driver tend to compound it more by their lack of knowledge of the road. Whenever traffic enforcing officer are not in sight the driver behave the way they like to break all known rules and regulations on the road and unwillingly obey when the officers are on a spot. Killing or accident to them connotes that the god of iron (ogun) is annoyed and must drink blood. They refused to see the need for skills in the act or art of driving only to moan when the inevitable happened and if they live to survive the accident. Most of these vehicles are defective with worn out tyres yet speed is a mere play and to prove how they can drive.

This phenomenon has continued over the years hence to come to conclusion that attitude, skills and behaviour have changed is to say the least. If colossal amounts of money which ought to be invested in meaningful development are lost to road traffic accidents yearly it therefore behoves on the stakeholders, the government, its agencies, and road users to re-define the concept with a view of making it more effective. Though in all ramifications the importance of education cannot be relegated to the background in the scheme of things a pro-active strategy to achieve attitude change is necessary. We are moving close to yet another festive mood, the Easter where the driver would want to make more money by going on many trips with their rickety vehicles. They risk the passengers lives and that of others road users and possibly throw some into the ditch and kill some.

Every decision emanates from the mind; hence mind targeting messages are actually needed to do the magic. The usual motor park campaign, motorised public enlightenment campaign, the use of banner, billboard, and the engagement of opinion leaders to educate the drivers are necessary measures to pursue by FRSC. Above all the passengers must be educated to be pro-active and courageous enough to act as checks and balances to the recklessness of the drivers. They must be active and not passive if they want to get to their various destinations in peace and not in pieces. Prayers alone are not enough without follow up action.

Institutional framework which would allow the agency to perform maximally must be at work. In the eye of the law no individual is greater than the law. The so-called big driverswho believe nothing can happen to them who flouts rules and regulations on the road must be dealt with accordingly to deter others. I think time is ripe for our courts to start the banning of certain drivers for specific offense upon arrest and or the withdrawal of the drivers license for a particular number of weeks, months or year and before they get back the license they undergo another round of driving test. Also re-training   process of some driver of age 60years and above should be in the pipeline of FRSC now. This is just to ascertain their alertness and suitability to driver since most drivers in this age wanted to do things in their own way rather than to follow the laid down rules.  The dynamism in road traffic development and management has gone far than their perceived models.

Any communication that does not elicit response is adjudged to be ineffective; if for over two decades traffic accidents are still a source of concern in Nigeria it means somewhere along the line something is wrong which should be corrected immediately. Could this be the disarticulation of the system, lack of commitment from the government or the road users are no longer interested in keeping lives safe on our roads?  Bringing back the system to workable level the FRSC need the support and improved institutional framework to discharge its duties. The various tiers of governments in Nigeria especially the local government councils have pivotal roles to play in this crusade against road accidents. In most advanced nation the idea of road safety is rooted in the local authorities. They are versed in the nature and needs of their various communities so programmes are planned to reflect these needs and cultures.

Unit commands of the FRSC across the federation notwithstanding, the local councils have the resources, men and the ears of the local people to further the education and enlightenment programmes  in order to achieve the much needed attitude change. The country cannot afford to be losing her vital and productive population to avoidable road traffic accidents when this people should be contributing to the development of the nation.

Niran Abitogun writes from Abuja.