opinion

"Every day thousands of people...will never return home, leaving behind shattered families and communities ...Current efforts to address road safety are minimal in comparison to this growing human suffering"...

1. I have noted with sadness the increasing rate of accidents on our roads in which a lot of people have lost their

lives in recent times, it is necessary for the government to take further action to prevent more of such experiences.

2. First aid should be institutionalised and enforced by laws because statistics had showed that Nigeria recorded more deaths from road traffic accidents than from HIV/AIDS or malaria.

Launching of the Nigerian Red Cross Society’s (NRCS) First Aid Manual Daily Times newspaper of Nigeria Thursday, November 27, 2003

There was a time when somebody from the up country said that wearing helmet was against the northern culture and I said yes that the northern culture did not develop on motorcycle. If the northern culture has now imbibed the motorcycle, then we must also make sure that those who will ride the motorcycle are protected by encouraging them to wear helmet.

Address to the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcyclists Owners and Riders Association at State House Abuja. August 9^th 2004

The combinations of poor vehicle conditions, inadequate attention to safety in road design, poorly regulated transport services, lack of enforcement and road safety education, all contribute to the high levels of accidents. A co-ordinated cross sector response is required. Road safety agencies and civil society organisations such as PATVORA have a critical role to play.

The Federal Road Safety Commission is endowed with many skilled and committed professionals and we have been pursuing aggressive regional and international co-operation and collaboration.

“My vision is to work in tandem with the Management Staff of FRSC to enthrone an enduring road safety culture in the country. I also want us to have in the next five years, more responsive and vibrant FRSC, capable of meeting the safety needs of our people on the road”.

The FRSC has instituted a disciplinary court, which is an internal mechanism designed to try all those that are found wanting in the discharge of their duty. We also stipulate appropriate punishment for staff who are indicted for sharp practices as there are no sacred cows in the Road Safety.

Major Gen. H. Hananiya (Rtd), Corps Marshal & Chief Exe. Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria

The carnage on our roads in virtually incalculable. There is no reliable source of accurate statistics of how many Nigerians are dying today on daily basis. Nobody knows except that there are very few families or individuals who do not have personal experience of somebody who has died. And so if we go by this, thousands of Nigerians are dying on our roads.

A large number of accidents that occur on our roads are not reported. They are not reported not necessarily by any body's fault but because there is no established process of getting statistics and recording these accidents. There are totally any persecutions for reckless driving. Only God knows how many drivers have been involved in road accidents”.

Servicom was created by President Obasanjo to ensure that people get services, which they desire and that the Nigerian society is transformed through service delivery programme, amongst others.

I have been particularly disturbed at the number of corps members we have lost over the years through road accidents. What can we do to step or bring to the barest minimum these untimely deaths?

Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Col. Yusuf Bomoi,

There is the need to make laws forcing commercial motorcyclists to wear reflective materials, especially at night and to use helmet.

Chief Alfred Opara, Chairman, Amalgamated Commercial Motorcyclists Owners and Riders Association, Nigeria, responding to President Obasanjo Welcome address, State House Abuja. August 9^th 2004

The number of deaths resulting from road traffic injuries across the country and in the world has been said to be more than those recorded from the world’s other leading causes of mortality like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Leke Pitan, at a briefing to mark the World Health Day, 2004.

Recalling a fatal accident along the Kano-Jigawa road which resulted in the death of some people, Governor Saminu Turaki stated that lives could have been saved with the presence of help within the area and that prompt attention was required to save victims of accidents.

Governor Saminu Turaki to Corps Marshal of the Federal road safety Commission of nigeria(FRSC), Malam Danyaro Yakassai,, VANGUARD, wed, 26 January 2000

"Road safety is an issue of immense human proportions, it's an issue of economic proportions, it's an issue of social proportions and it's also an issue of equity. Road safety very much affects poor people." World Bank Group President James D. Wolfensohn

“The human suffering for victims of traffic-related injuries and their families is incalculable. In strict economic terms, the costs associated with surgery, prolonged hospitalisation and long-term rehabilitation for such victims, in addition to their lost productivity, represent tens of billions of dollars each year. These costs seriously compromise prospects for development”. “We must multiply our efforts to prevent people from falling victim to road traffic collisions”.

“Poor road safety causes one of the greatest inequities in the world today. More than a million people – the vast majority in the poorest countries of the world.

Max Mosley, President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)

Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) are an escalating health, social and economic hazard in countries with the least resources. Developed countries have been relatively successful in reducing the burden of RTIs. This shows that more, better targeted and sustainable investment can prevent RTIs and reduce the damage that results from crashes. Poorer countries clearly need a new and broader approach to road safety.

Despite what is known about road traffic crashes and their health consequences, policymakers worldwide show little awarenessof their contribution to the burden of disease; consequently theyare neglected in service and policy. At the same time there hasbeen limited funding, particularly in low and middle income countries,for traffic related research even though these injuries draindeveloping economies of 1-2% of gross domestic product (about$100 billion) each year, or twice the total development aid receivedworldwide by developing countries.

Owners of transport in Nigeria only secure the mandatory Third Party Insurance polices, which do not cover their vehicles, talkless of the passengers.

While the death and injured rates are declining in the developed world, the opposite prevails in the developing world with particular reference to Africa. Inspite of efforts put in by FRSC "one is still not quite comfortable with the trends especially as it concerns night accident and mass transit vehicles where hundreds of lives are lost in few accidents."

Road accidents is a serious problem all over the world. However, while most countries in other continents have succeeded in checking and even reversing the number of road fatalities, current trends in Africa indicate that the carnage will increase with increasing motorization without effective remedial actions.

Direct funding of road safety activities in LICs has been shown to be limited, with scarce resources limiting potential reductions in the number of crashes and casualties. Whilst many countries have overseeing road safety co-ordinating bodies and specific road safety plans, little or no attention has been paid to identifying funding sources in order to allow the implementation of the prioritised actions.

THIRD AFRICAN ROAD SAFETY CONGRESS Pretoria, South Africa, 1997-FINANCING OF ROAD SAFETY ACTIONS

Thor Wetteland and Stein Lundebye-World Bank

"It should be borne in mind that 75% of the casualties occur in developing and transition countries. The cost of road accidents is nearly equivalent to double all official aid assistance in developing countries according to the World Bank,"

Dr. Eric Bernes, First Aid Manager at the International Federation. Review of road safety management practice TRL Limited with Ross Silcock, Babtie Group Ltd. By A Aeron-Thomas, AJ Downing, GD Jacobs, JP Fletcher, T Selby and DT Silcock-DFID, GRSP, TRL Ross Silcock, Babtie Group Ltd

Poor people in developing countries have the highest burden of injuries and fatalities due to road traffic crashes. In 1998,more than 85% of deaths and 90% of disability adjusted life yearslost worldwide because of road traffic crashes occurred in developingcountries. In the same year fatality rates for children aged 0-4and 5-14 years were five to seven times greater in developingcountries than in higher income countries. Policy makers in these countries should givehigher priority to the problem of road traffic injuries.
Vinand M Nantulya, senior research scientist, international health, Michael R Reich, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge BMJ 2002;324:1139-1141 ( 11 May )

Alcohol plays a major role in many accidents, so it is important that they continue to invest in life saving programmes, as part of their investment in responsible alcohol consumption initiatives.

Excerpts from Keynote Address of Minister of Transport, Mr Jeff Radebe, MPEaster Campaign and Arrive Alive Patrol Car Launch, Thursday, 17 March 2005

In Nigeria, one out of every three-accident victims die, and since the civil war, no other pathology or phenomenon has claimed the lives of more Nigerians than have road traffic accidents. Yet the medical response to these accidents is abysmally poor.

Dr. Edeaghe Ehikhamenor- Co-Ordinator, SAVAN, a major NGO providing care for road crash victims.

Alcohol plays a major role in many accidents, so it is important that they continue to invest in life saving programmes, as part of their investment in responsible alcohol consumption initiatives.

Excerpts from Keynote Address of Minister of Transport, Mr Jeff Radebe, MP

Easter Campaign and Arrive Alive Patrol Car Launch, Thursday, 17 March 2005

The rate at which people die as a result of accidents on Nigerian highways is becoming more alarming, more than the deadly HIV/AIDS scourge in the country.

I am surprised the death toll or rate is as low as they are on African highways. I will be honest. I expect more severe accidents at high frequency because these roads have out lived their time. They do not meet current highway geometric standards, there are no posted speed limits and the conditions of the pavement are very poor. The fault lies squarely in the hands of African leaders.

Here are two reasons why you would want to improve a highway: Geometric and the other is capacity. Recently while travelling in West Africa, I noticed several problems on the highways. I was very frightened. There were no posted speed limits. Sight distances in curves and on hills were below standard. Remember, most of the roads are two lanes highways (not divided). In areas of high fills (embankment) with steep side slopes, there were no guard-rails and very poor road side design.

John Boimah, From Liberia resides in the USA BBC News, Friday, 28 April, 2000, 08:43 GMT 09:43 UK

Death and injury from road crashes and motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians constitute a major public health problem. Because so many of those killed and maimed on the roads are young, the years of expected life lost as the result of motor vehicle crashes and collisions rival what occurs with the major modern epidemics of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

In many countries, where the consumption of alcohol is accepted as part of everyday life, it has been shown that alcohol impaired drivers of motor vehicles are responsible for about half of all motors vehicle related deaths and serious injuries. From this it follows that measures ensuring that alcohol impaired persons never drive will result in a very significant improvement in road safety, and a marked reduction in those killed or maimed on the roads.

The fundamental economics of African travel is that the transport operators' income is determined by maximising passenger miles. The more passengers, the faster the speed, the more money earned. The economics of transport in Africa encourages speed and overloading. The lack of effective law enforcement and regulation prevents anything being done about it. Add in the appalling conditions of the roads and vehicles and the result is that people die. The only solution is for passengers themselves to take their
safety in their own hands and refuse to travel in speeding buses or on over-crowded boats.

Most of the people who drive vehicle on our roads have no business driving and passengers do not help matters too as they have always failed to caution their drivers even when they are aware they had violated road traffic regulations. The FRSC has embarked on a mass enlightenment campaign to get both drivers and passengers properly informed of the dangers in violating traffic regulations in order to reduce the level of carnage on the roads.

Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) & Head, Training Department, FRSC, Dr. Ralph Osayi, while briefing newsmen on auto crash along Akure-Owo road which claimed 25 people on Wednesday 4^th May 2005.

" A lot of people you see driving have no business driving. We must educate and retrain drivers. If drivers imbibe road safety practices, we will have less of accidents. It is a collective effort, the accident was caused by human factor,"

G.A Garuba, head of the Commission's federal operations in a press briefing on a fatal road mishap that led to the death of 25 persons, including three corps members on Akure-Owo Road on Wednesday 4^th May 2005.

Poor attitude of motorists including those on the convoy of governors was the major cause of auto accidents in the South-East zone. Drivers of top government functionaries usually on convoy have refused to heed the advice against over speeding. The speed at which they operate governor’s convoy was "above the Nigerian Traffic Law."

Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road safety Commission, Mr. Samuel Kwaghe,

It is important to the President that all Nigerians are well and alive so that they can contribute their quota to the growth and development of our country.

Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, speaking on behalf of the President while condoling the families of the victims a bus crash which claimed 56 lives in kano.