While I was doing my usual research on Accidents, I came across a very interesting piece and I decided to share

From : Frsc insight.

Averting road accidents in Nigeria





Road accidents have become a regular phenomenon. Every day Nigerians die on the road and many are injured. In such circumstances, the role of medical institutions become important, as the first few minutes after the accident, termed the “Golden Hour,” are very precious and crucial. Many lives could be saved and disabilities prevented by providing immediate treatment to accident victims.

Among the accidents resulting from the development of air, land, sea and river transport, road accidents predominate both in respect of their frequency and seriousness and in terms of human and economic cost. There is no doubt about it; there are far too many accidents on the road today. Even if you are the most careful and contentious driver on the road there is still a chance that someone will slam into your car causing you, at the very least, some property damage and maybe something far worse.

Mr. Julius Adekoye lamented that: “Road accidents in Nigeria claim more lives daily than any other factor because of the multiple lapses in our system which contribute to such road mishap, some of which are fatal in some cases”. There is nothing you can do that will guarantee you a constantly safe and totally accident free driving experience, but there are several things that travellers could do to help minimize the amount of accidents that occur on the road every day. First, Obey the traffic laws the state makes prospective drivers pass a test before they get behind the wheel for a reason, automobiles can be very dangerous if they aren’t operated properly and according to the laws of the road. Speed limits, traffic signs and all other traffic signals should be closely adhered to every single time someone gets behind the wheel, traffic laws are put in place to protect all of the travelers who are sharing space on the road. Following traffic signals isn’t an option, those drivers that treat it as such are usually the ones you see pulled over to the side of the road being handed a violation paper by officers.

A student member of the International Society of the Red Cross, Miss Kemi Oluwapo said that: “Road accidents, though labelled accidental, are most times caused by dangerous driving which informs why we keep having them everyday, despite efforts by relevant agencies to have them minimised on our roads”. Pay Attention to the Road and Your Surroundings at all times There could be many things going on in traffic all around you, so it’s crucial that you pay attention to everything going on around you. Driving should be your only focus while behind the wheel. Some drivers, while on wheels eat their breakfasts, drink their coffees, apply their make up and change their outfits and these are often the drivers that are involved in accidents.

Mrs. Josephine Agwu cautioned that “If you don’t have time to eat, change or apply your make up before you get in the car, it’s probably a good idea to start getting up earlier. Those five extra minutes of sleep won’t help you replace your destroyed automobile or help with your rehabilitation following an accident”. Put down the cell phone. Our cell phones now are a huge survival tool, they let us make calls, receive and send text messages and e-mails, surf the internet and get directions, watch videos, take pictures and listen to music, among other things, but one place they don’t belong is in your hand while you’re behind the wheel.

You simply can’t concentrate on the road and the things going on around you while you’re typing a text message or reading an e-mail. There are laws against using your cell phone while driving in many states now, and those laws are just as important to follow as all of the other laws on the road, you can read your e-mails and send your texts when you get to your destination, but doing so while you’re driving may not let you get to your destination at all. Don’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol as it is a major cause of accidents and automobile related deaths. An easy way to prevent this is not to drive while you are under the influence of alcohol, if you have to drink, and then find another way to get home. Have a sober friend drive you, take a cab or spend the night where you are, but never get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking.

Many of the accidents that occur are preventable, if people would just pay attention and abide by the laws of the road. By staying aware of your surroundings you can help to minimize the chances that you’ll be involved in an accident, but if you choose to drink and drive or play with your cell phone while you’re driving then you are destroying yourself.

Road accident is a sheer wastage of resources, I am surprised that even in slums, road accident is the primary cause of lost of lives. I suggest we should look at the fatal accidents and find out reasons why accidents are happening, who is responsible for the accident and provide a way of preventing road accidents in future by analyzing the data of road accidents. In this country, one can easily get a driving license even without knowing how to start a car. Road safety depends on pedestrians, drivers and the traffic department. The primary causes of road accidents are high speed and poor condition of roads; one has to take care of his own while on the road We should learn to create awareness about road precaution because lack of awareness is one of the main problems we are facing in Nigeria and it should be initiated by Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

A commuter, Mrs. Nwanne Iwu told this writer that “The medical practitioners can also help in reducing death by attending to the victim urgently, but in Nigeria medical handling of crash victims is far from satisfactory. “The time taken between the accident and the hospital is critical, but the procedural wrangles and public fear of getting involved in a police case delay crucial help. “Additionally, the police and the medical institutions often prioritize completion of medico-legal formalities over treatment that results in the death or permanent disability of many victims. Moreover, many medical institutions deny emergency cases by giving lame excuses, such as non-availability of beds, and other facilities”. The possible way of solving this matter is for the Supreme Court to pass an order that a road accident victim should be attended to immediately so that his life is saved.

And also, the police should stop harassing a citizen that sacrificed his time in taking the victims to the medical homes as that contributes greatly to the death of accident victims, many are afraid to help saying ‘I will be arrested and detained by the police, also the entertainment industry, which plays an important role in spreading messages and moldings public perceptions, continue to portray this undesirable state of affairs. Thus, there is an urgent need to sensitise common people, the police, the medical fraternity, as well as the entertainment industry on road safety issues.There is need for the Road Transport Workers, Individual to be empowered and enlightened on the issue of road safety and the need to obey all road rules and regulations

http:Accidentwatch.