Ayo, a banker, rushes home one evening after receiving a call that his mum is dying. She had a minor illness some weeks ago, and following a medical recommendation, has been placed under a doctor’s care in the comfort of Ayo’s home. Today, however, her case seems to have taken a turn for the worse and an urgent visit to the hospital becomes of utmost necessity. With the home doctor’s assistance, she is placed in an ambulance, destination a hospital a little farther away from Ayo’s residence. After only a couple of meters driving in this neighbourhood, the ambulance finds itself in some incredible traffic along the narrow road which accommodates Ayo’s humble home. A rickety truck has broken down meters ahead, there’s someone engaged with coordinating traffic for both oncoming and ongoing cars along the remainder, even narrower path every vehicle must now follow. There’s a reflective CAUTION sign placed just ahead of the truck. It is a huge truck and no sooner had it broken down, than a long file of cars, trucks, keke NAPEP and okadas dominated the usually calm, indisruptable neighbourhood of the banker. Back in the ambulance, Ayo’s mother doesn’t seem like she can hold on much longer. Heaving silently with closed eyes and trembling lips, she holds Ayo’s hands even tighter. Though they finally make it to the hospital, they are two minutes too late. The several minutes they spent in that “unavoidable” traffic didn’t do much to help the woman’s situation.

Luku is a truck driver. He drives a rickety truck out from a suburb in Lagos into the city center. He makes fast money hauling several kinds of goods and is completely satisfied with his job. The money isn’t as much as he might have wanted, but he is still able to send his kids to school and provide for his aged father. After the many expenses the remainder money is often unable to cater for his dying truck. Nevertheless, he manages to get his only source of livelihood into the next day. Though every indication on the giant truck reminds Luku to get it to a mechanic as soon as possible, the poor driver is never able to allocate money for repairs. While hauling goods towards a warehouse along one narrow street, his truck breaks down right in the middle of the street leaving vehicles and pedestrians with a remainder half barely enough for them. That’s not the first time. Perhaps it’s just that shaft. He brings out a CAUTION sign, instructs one of his boys to attend to the traffic and goes quickly in search of an expert mechanic. Back with help, Luku could see an ambulance up ahead wailing and attempting to maneuver around the mass of vehicular and human traffic resulting from the road shut-down. Just one glance and he heads right back to work with the mechanic. Everyone will eventually pass; I can’t be here for too long, he mutters under his breath, spanner in hand.

Is this a unique or recurring situation on Nigerian roads? Is that traffic indeed unavoidable? Should there be laws to discourage such incidents as this? Will the knowledge that a dying woman was in the ambulance have helped enable faster vehicular traffic? If Luku had attended to his dying truck days, even months earlier, would Ayo’s mother still be alive? Is there any reason to charge Luku with negligent homicide?

It’s not news that Nigerian roads are not among the best in the world. Pot holes dot every corner and traffic signs are not commonplace. Even where there are traffic signs, there is often no consequence for disobeying them. In fact, a road user risks the anger of other users when he attempts to obey visible traffic signs. Accidents from bad roads are not unusual and the attendant consequences cannot be overestimated. However, there’s another side to the story of Nigerian roads and this seems even worse and intractable: negligent drivers. Negligent drivers don’t just make using the road a terrible experience for many, they could in fact cause even more harm as demonstrated by Ayo’s case above. Negligent drivers do not attend to their cars even when it shows great need for treatment. Negligent drivers do not consciously use the road bearing others in mind. They park or double park on roads and make other drivers conduct unbelievable maneuvers just to get through. These drivers do not trafficate when making turns; they probably consider it unnecessary. They are selfish and for them, public roads could as well be their home garage.

Now, it is not unusual to have such drivers in any country. Negligent homicide from driving drunk isn’t exactly Nigerian law (has Nigeria even ever sentenced anyone to a long jail term for this?) So, it could be unfair if we make this a Nigeria experience. What’s unusual, however, is that the Nigerian regulatory bodies have not deemed it fit to term negligent driving a crime. Neither have the courts encouraged charging people for bouts of completely insane negligent driving. When a car breaks down permanently on the road (like it so happens with Honda cars immobilized by a twisted front wheel) causing untold pain to other road users, why isn't the owner served with a heavy fine? Why don’t regulatory agencies discourage double parking by severely fining offenders?

Criminology discusses crime and punishment. When a country doesn't punish crimes by serving commensurable punishment, it inevitably encourages perpetuation of the same crime. Negligent driving may not entirely be a crime. But when the several instances of negligent driving are not discouraged by the authorities, there continues to be repeats and repeats of the same avoidable situations. We do not have to wait until the nation turns on its head before implementing simple laws that can help safeguard our future. Who knows, you may be the next one in that ambulance someday tied to your fate on the street by a reckless driver who should have fixed his car days ago in a workshop, and not later on the streets.

What's your view?

the problem here is not traffic but

1 basic reading of the highway code aka what the law requires you to do in the road as road user in these case there is traffic but the law requires us to move over/ create space for ambulance, fire bridge, bomb disposal to pass through

2 the basic emplemation of law i.e police and relevent authorities following through how a road user should follow the road rules

3 i think automatic car have made it worse in africa, these car have made it very easy for people to drive and learn more while they drive without the basic teaching of the highway code from both a driving school and person as an individaul, i left my native country zimbabwe almost 15 years ago and most car where manual (just like the coloniser the british) and now all the imports of second hand cars from japan are automatic and every jack and jill can drive just as it has happened in nigeria most of your cars are american made and are automatics one can teach him self to drive then comes corruption i will go on to buy a driving licence

so imagine and self taught to drive since its easy with an automatic, then i go on to buy an officail driving licence but i dont know anything from the highway code do you think thing i will pull over to let a flashing ambulance, fire engine or bomb disposal trucks pass?

these how i see it

here in you if your licence is for an automatic and you are caught driving an manual, you get procecuted for that even though you are a good driver with an manual, you still get arrested and taken to court

ZIMDRILL:
the problem here is not traffic but

1 basic reading of the highway code aka what the law requires you to do in the road as road user in these case there is traffic but the law requires us to move over/ create space for ambulance, fire bridge, bomb disposal to pass through

2 the basic emplemation of law i.e police and relevent authorities following through how a road user should follow the road rules

3 i think automatic car have made it worse in africa, these car have made it very easy for people to drive and learn more while they drive without the basic teaching of the highway code from both a driving school and person as an individaul, i left my native country zimbabwe almost 15 years ago and most car where manual (just like the coloniser the british) and now all the imports of second hand cars from japan are automatic and every jack and jill can drive just as it has happened in nigeria most of your cars are american made and are automatics one can teach him self to drive then comes corruption i will go on to buy a driving licence

so imagine and self taught to drive since its easy with an automatic, then i go on to buy an officail driving licence but i dont know anything from the highway code do you think thing i will pull over to let a flashing ambulance, fire engine or bomb disposal trucks pass?

these how i see it

here in you if your licence is for an automatic and you are caught driving an manual, you get procecuted for that even though you are a good driver with an manual, you still get arrested and taken to court

Good perspective to look at it from. I agree with you, it's not the traffic per se. That was just to argue from. But don't you think even if people are able to read highway codes and all, they would still flout it at some time. Since the road laws are not even properly enforced, the highway codes will achieve nothing in the end.
I'm guessing there are road laws in Nigeria, but certainly no awareness and enforcement of these laws. Until people are arrested and charged for negligent driving, I don't think this will stop. This is what is obviously missing.

goofyone:


Good perspective to look at it from. I agree with you, it's not the traffic per se. That was just to argue from. But don't you think even if people are able to read highway codes and all, they would still flout it at some time. Since the road laws are not even properly enforced, the highway codes will achieve nothing in the end.
I'm guessing there are road laws in Nigeria, but certainly no awareness and enforcement of these laws. Until people are arrested and charged for negligent driving, I don't think this will stop. This is what is obviously missing.

yes its about the road rules being enforced

the problem is that in african a car is symbol of status, even when you are wrong the car you drive can make you get away with it

but it doesnt matter what car you drive but how good you follow the law

12 years ago here in UK the police had that perception if you drove a decent average car they would rarely stop you, the perception was that s/he with that car can afford insurance (human judgement) then it changed especially if you were black ther 1st thing they would suspect you was may you are doing drugs they would stop you based on the good car you are driving

now it has changed there is what is called automatic number place recognition its reads you number place and by the time the stop you they know the registered onwer etc what is left is you saying what makes sense to them and the infor on the data base

One terrible habit with most Nigerians is the managing culture which we have imbibed either due to "poverty" but the underlying factor is that most Nigerians are careless and thoughtless. And this pervades all spheres of our life.


We are really backward as to civilization.
My take.

This are the people to blame,
1.The federal government who employed corrupt politicians and DGs to head ministries without check

2. The senate and house of reps who pass only laws that favour them and their kins, also only pass laws with the highest bidder bribe.

3. The judiciary who refuse to make sure the laws and judgement to pass are followed and allow themselves to be manipulated by dirty politicians

4. The policeman who upon stopping you doesn't ask for your papers but says what do you have for us and is willing to let a sporadic murder/robber bent on a killing spree to carryon as long as #20 (which a toddler knows is rotten chicken change) has exchanged hands.

5. The state government who is waiting for the federal gov and its non functioning parastatals to do their job which takes forever.

6. The FRSC and VIO which would way lay commuters on highway (imagine highway) which is expected to be free flowing traffic causing unprecedented and frustrating holdup.

7. The local government chairman who diverted funds meant to educate children whose care is placed upon on to train his own child abroad to come back and enslave the children of others

8. The Nigerian business man who wants to make 1000% profit within 1day of business inception hence importing highly meant to kill substandard products

9. The greedy Nigerian populace who doesn't care about life but is willing to buy cheap inorder not to save anything in future fooling himself thinking he is saving big.

90% of trucks on Nigerian roads are death traps, overtake with caution.