Daily Independent (Lagos)
Stella Odueme
18 November 2008
Lagos — Many families are today suffering from losses caused by road traffic accidents. In many instances, the breadwinners and other members of the family are sent to their untimely greaves due to recklessness on the roads. It is quite disheartening that about 1.2 million people have died globally, no thanks to road accidents.
According to the Federal Road Safety Commission, in Nigeria, 14 persons die each day through road traffic accidents. In Lagos State, between 1989 and June 2008, a total of 14,384 persons died on roads while 41,357 persons sustained injuries of varying magnitudes. 108,930 vehicles crashed on Lagos roads during the period under review.
No doubt these are monumental and avoidable losses.
The United Nations General Assembly on October 26, 2005 adopted resolution 60/5 on improving global road safety. The resolution called for the third Sunday in November to be recognised as an annual day of remembrance for road traffic victims.
As expected, the FRSC, Lagos Command, joined its counterparts around the world to mark the day. The FRSC officials in black cloths distributed leaflets and flyers to the residents about safety on the roads during a candlelight procession for victims of road traffic accidents.
A group of professionals operating under the aegis of Association for Better Environment, a non-governmental and non-profit organisation with special focus on road safety, was also visible in the crusade for safety on the roads.
Speaking shortly after the candlelight procession from FRSC Ojudu office to the LTV Ground, Corps Sector Commander, Lagos, Kayode Olagunju, who gave the accident figures, described the figures as saddening.
"In Nigeria, 14 persons die each day through road accident. In Lagos between 1989 and June 2008, 14, 384 persons died on roads and 41,357 persons sustained injuries and 108, 930 vehicles crashed on Lagos roads. That is not good enough," he said.
Speaking the candle procession, he said: "This is an awareness walk; the United Nations took a resolution on the 26 of October 2005 and decided to mark World Day of Remembrance of Road Accident Victims on the third Sunday of November all over the world. So the idea is to share in the day and remember the victims while we pray for the repose of the souls of those that have died during road traffic accidents. We also sympathise with the victims left behind."
He specifically spoke on the need for motorists to obey traffic rules and regulations, especially as the Christmas and New Year celebrations draw nearer. "We are at the same time bringing to their consciousness road safety issues; for we know that when people obey traffic rules and regulations, the chances of surviving on the road will be much higher. We want to let people know that everybody must obey traffic rules on the highways," he said, adding:
"We should not drive under the influence of alcohol, we should walk on the right side of the roads, maintain our vehicles and be conscious of the situations on the roads at all times. We are around the festive mood and so we must remember to drive consciously. Those of us that are fortunate to be alive need to strive to be alive, for accidents are functions of the positive actions that we have neglected on the roads and negative ones that we have embarked upon on the roads."
Also speaking on the road walk, the President of the Association for Better Environment, Ndubuisi Okoji, said her group shared in the pains of families and friends of road traffic accident victims. "We are here to remember those who have gone through road accidents and pray for the repose of their souls and at the same time sympathise and share the losses and pains of the families, because so many children are out of school today because they can longer pay school fees," she said.
For her, the poor state of most of Nigerian roads is not enough reason to allow recklessness take central stage on the roads. "Nigeria may have the worse road networks in the world and also records the highest rate of road traffic accidents. People will say that it is due to the fact that roads are bad, yes they are bad, no doubt, but there is a way we can drive to avoid road accidents," she said.
According to her, road traffic accidents are due to recklessness and high level of irresponsibility on the part of road users. "Those that are dying are doing so because of recklessness and irresponsibility. What we are trying to tell people is that enough is enough, let us be responsible, be conscious and have respect for other road users," she stated.
She added that her organisation is embarking on enlightenment campaign to draw attention to road safety. Already, it launched the campaign in June 2008, in Lagos, where about 30,000 flyers were distributed to the people.
"The enlightenment campaign is an ongoing thing. For instance, our association has a quarterly programme. We had one in June, which lasted for almost a month. It took place within six days in that month and we distributed over 30,000 flyers and visited over 30 busy locations all over Lagos talking to the people one-on-one," she said, adding: "Our ultimate plan is to carry the crusade outside Lagos to other cities in the country. But we want to get it right in Lagos first because whether we like it or not, Lagos actually has the worse drivers in Nigeria. People will say once you can drive in Lagos, then you can drive anywhere, but they are not looking at driving in the real sense; they are looking at the recklessness as if driving is a war-front where you act like a commando. So when we are able to get it right in Lagos, I believe that spreading the message across other states will be an easy thing."
On her assessment of the road safety campaigns, she said that it would be a gradual process. "We are sensitising the people and it is gradual thing. Recklessness did not just start yesterday. It takes a lot of efforts to actually get people to start acting properly on the road. For now, we are building. I would not say that things have changed since June, but we hope that very soon, we will begin to see positive attitudinal changes on the roads," she assured.
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