BY BENSON OKOBI-ALLANAH
CHRISTMAS is just some few weeks away from today. And as expected, the hustle and bustle has been at its peak with just few people willing to travel to their various home towns.
We just don’t need to find out reason why only few persons will be willing to travel. The reason is just as visible as the naked sky, off-course the economic recession with its bestriding ugly fang.
However, whether or not you will travel, one is bound to make use of vehicles which explains why the following causes of accident should be avoided this Yuletide.
Accidents, especially vehicular accidents, occur for so many reasons. Most accidents that occur are usually associated with drunk-driving, distractions, non-use of seat-belts, answering and making calls while behind the steering wheels, over-bloating of the stomach with food which causes laziness, tiredness, and makes one feel sleepy; and again, putting faulty vehicles on the road when you know they are not road-worthy.
The above listed causes of accident on our roads emanate mostly from commercial drivers who, in their bid to make a return back journey same day, forget checking if their vehicles are in proper order to embark on such immediate race back.
Governments on their own part, contribute to accident. They also have their own share of the blame. By their failure to fix the bad roads already dilapidated, constructing roads they know cannot stand the test of time, failure to provide road signs in some strategic places, and some officials trusted with safe-driving on our roads that see motorists violating traffic rules and cover them by collecting bribes instead of persecuting them, make them serve punishment for such violation as prescribed by the laws of the land.
Today, the rules and regulations are fragrantly and ignobly violated with full impudence and sheathed arrogance by some motorists who feel they are above the laws of the land. Some security officials drive against traffic, an offence members of the public could be persecuted for if they are caught doing so.
Having been notified of some of the causes of accident on our roads which more often than not leave different degrees of carnage on our highways, we will then at this junction call on motorists by way of cautioning them to guard seriously against these life-depleting anomy called accident before, during and after the Yuletide celebration and continuously into the years ahead because there is no time of the season or year death through accident is okay.
Drunk-driving which is very common among commercial drivers is one aspect of accident that has been decimating the population of the masses, thus, presenting a high record of death list among the citizenry caused through this means.
The instruction ‘when you drink, don’t drive, and when you drive, don’t drink’ means nothing to some motorists as they ignore it, drink and get sizzled with booze; hopping into their vehicles with, knocked brains, bleary eyes, eyes blazing with terror that push them into endless, unchecked and most times, uncontrolled speeding.
‘When you drink, don’t drive, and when you drive, don’t drink’ is a very strong instruction, warning, and public safety slogan, urging people to completely separate alcohol consumption from operating a vehicle due to severe risks like impaired judgment, slower reaction times, and potential accidents or fatalities. It is a directive to make responsible choices or arrange for sober transport.’ Declares an anonymous Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official who says he is not, however, competent to speak with the press.
Commercial vehicle drivers even if they were the first to be mentioned as major culprit in this crime of drunk-driving does not by any means suggest the exclusion of other motorists. Record in the past showed that some of those accidents that occurred through drunk-driving also came from car owners who are either chauffeur-driven or self-driven.
In one of the accidents that occurred between Ore in Ondo State, and Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, some three years back, involving two buses fully loaded with passengers, trying to overtake each other, and both headed for Lagos, it was discovered that one of the drivers was drunk, even to the point of stupor. As luck would have it, and by God’s special intervention, the accident did not claim any live despite its fatal nature.
Another accident that happened in Asaba, the Delta State capital, before the Niger Bridge Head after the Asaba Tollgate, involving an Aba-bound coastal bus from Lagos, was traced to the driver’s drunkenness. He had at Umunede junction where they stopped to have some light refreshments, according to one of the passengers that sustained minor injuries, taken four bottles of beer after which he went behind the steering only to ram into a stationery vehicle later in the course of the journey. God who so much loved His children saved passengers from what would have been recorded as the worst accident that year.
Another thing drivers should be wary of is distraction which is known to have been contributing to some accidents recorded on our roads. Many drivers drive on busy highways without focusing on their driving. Rather than concentrating on their driving ensuring that their focus is not divided but directed to where they are going to, some of them get carried away looking at girls voluptuously endowed that are busy flaunting their God-given endowment. And in some of the processes, they lost control of the vehicles, thus leading to accident.
A woman in company of her husband in their car, saved her husband from ramming into a crowd at Ogbeogonogo Modern Market, Asaba, while the entire attention was shifted to a lady that could best be described as half naked buying something off a trader as she bent down.
If not for his wife who tried to admonish him, her timely raise of alarm, shouting that he was about running into people, and accusing him of not being able to control himself over his lustful look at the girl, another front page news would have been recorded outright by crushing a good number of those buying and selling in the market along the road!
Many have through loss of concentration while driving, been involved in accidents they never thought of, accidents they never knew will occur, and it keeps happening nearly on daily basis as they indulge in this focus less driving habit, with some of them on being challenged, telling you they can drive along that road with their eyes closed as they are very conversant with it.
A girl who felt slighted by the action of her guy when called upon to tell the police what actually caused the accident they were involved in, said it was lack of concentration on the part of her boyfriend as a result of his uncontrolled lustful gaze, instead of stealing just a glance at the girl, but forgot himself and knocked down the moi-moi seller hawking her ware—that his claims that the break of his vehicle failed was just a mere fallacy, a false claim. ‘How can you be with a beautiful lady like me and still be having your eyes on another lady? The aggrieved lady queried her guy in the presence of the police.
Some of them (drivers) without self-control lose concentration easily the moment they see anything in skirt they admire and un-lock their lustful desires in them. This set of drivers is more prone to accidents in this regard.
Seat-belts are recommended for safety purposes. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are serious and do not attend to any matter concerning non-conformity of the use of seat belts with kids-globe.
Yet, many Nigerians have continued to ignore the use of it, preferring quick exit from the world without the use of it, instead of using it to prevent avoidable accidents that most times lead to their death and that of the passengers they carry. On radio, television and newspapers we listen to, and read news about fatal and ghastly accidents averted through the use of seat belts, and many have through the use of seat-beats been saved from what would have painted some horrific scenes. So, as all drivers whether commercial or private car owners drive home this Yuletide, it is advisable we all adhere strictly to the use of seat-belts. To ignore its use, means voluntarily inviting death. It is for the good of the driver, the passenger, and those we are all traveling to meet in our various communities.
Another cause of accidents is answering calls and making calls while driving on major highways and in towns. Many Nigerians are known to be non-adherents and non-conformists to this. Instead of parking their vehicles to make or answer calls, they prefer doing it as they drive, and to make matter worse, some even send text messages as they are driving. This is a pure case of madness and risk at its very height. When such persons are accosted over the danger they are exposing their selves and other members of the public to, they burst out threatening hail and brimstone, telling the officers who try to caution them if they don’t like their job or simply want to be sacked.
‘I have seen a top government official who when told he almost caused an accident as he was driving and making calls, started reigning abuses on the officer. Some people feel they are above the laws of the land by ignoring what they are supposed to be guided by.
When someone is being reminded of things (he ought not to be reminded of) to do to ensure their safety because it is glaring and assumed they should know better, and in the process the person offering such advice is cursed and made mess of in the presence of those around who hail and give the thumps up for one violating the rules, for being rude, arrogant and disrespectful, then one should be seeing a society already warped in lawlessness.’ Mrs Doris Ugbakaba, security personnel, said.
Most commercial drivers are known to be heavy spenders when it comes to food. They get their stomach over bloated with food and drinks that make them look heavy and lazy; and are, as a result, made to start feeling drowsy. Some of them as they are driving, start sleeping on steering. An experience that had made many run into deep ditches, or involved in head-on coalition with on-coming vehicles, forgetting that excess food induces sleep. They eat as if told they will not see food the next day.
Faulty vehicle: Putting a faulty vehicle on the road is yet another dangerous cause of accident. In fact, available statistics show that 40 percent of the accidents recorded on our roads are as a result of using vehicles that are not road worthy as at the time they were put into use.
Drivers take the risk of driving vehicles they know are faulty. A driver will know that the break pads of his vehicle have worn-out, he, instead of fixing them right, will want to manage them for the next trip. Until something negative results, they will not see the need of righting the wrong in the vehicle.
Passengers who do not know the state of vehicles they are traveling in are conveyed at the mercy of the drivers. And this negative approach to safety driving is common among commercial drivers who like gaining more than the owners of the vehicles they drive, neglecting repairs and maintenance.
‘They go to such owners to tell them there is no much work and as a result cannot carry out maintenance work on their vehicles.’ Mr Anthony Ayalierue, a transport owner told Friday Treat.
Now that the Yuletide is with us here again, there is the need for us all to be alive to our responsibilities. We should all try hard to obey every traffic rules and regulations, reduce speed, and avoid drinking while driving. Life is still precious despite the harsh economic realities. May we all travel this festive periods and beyond to get to our various destinations and not travel to end up in hospitals in Jesus Mighty name we pray, Amen.
…Why Many Nigerians May Stay Back At Home
THOUGH sales of commodities in this Yuletide season are booming as earlier reported in one of our editions, possibility of many Nigerians traveling to their various villages for the Christmas celebration from their base is still dicey. Many prefer to stay where they are domiciled and celebrate it there rather than paying through their nose to travel according to findings by our reporter.
Going to old Asaba Toll Gate Motor Park just before the River Niger Bridge Head, where several transport companies abound, to assess what the transport situation is for now, and before people start traveling for the Christmas and New Year just around the corner, was somewhat worrisome.
When what obtains now for a journey from Asaba to Lagos in a Hummer bus is N45 to N50, 000, and hoping to change in the next couple of days when more people will possibly be traveling to their various destinations, could be worrisome when one considers the fact that he will be traveling and bound to face higher charges in terms of transport fares, and perhaps on his luggage. Transport fares for those traveling with their families is better imagined than told on the pages of newspapers.
A check on some of the buses bound for Calabar, Uyo, Oron, Ogoja, Enugu, Nsukka, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Benin, Ore, Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo, Ilorin, Abuja, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano etc from Asaba, showed a tremendous rise in transport fares to get to each of the afore-mentioned destinations listed.
A commercial driver bound for Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, who gave his name as Abdulrazak Akinwumi, told Friday Treat at the park that it would amount to disclosing what is supposed to be kept secret for now to avoid scaring away intending passengers because the moment they hear what is being charged as the current transport fares, they start looking for alternative means like hitch-hiking along the road and not wanting to make use of the motor parks hence they (the commercial drivers) try as much as possible to keep them away from knowing the actual fares to be paid until they come to the park themselves to find out.
‘You don’t need to be told that transport fare to Ilorin has increased if you know how much we buy petrol now. Even when government has fixed a uniform price bill for all marketers, they still go ahead to sell petrol to us at different prices higher than what government said should be the uniform price. It is not good that a man with a family start staying idle, otherwise many of us would have stop driving. Passengers are scarce but not scarce now; let me explain this paradox for your better understanding: because many are no longer willing to travel due to high transport cost, and many passengers found around motor parks but not willing to pay the transport fares charged; unless off-course, the journey becomes a matter of necessity that is when you see few passengers willing to pay to enable them travel. This time there is phone; people just call their families at home to find out how they are faring instead of burning their hard-earned money on transport fares. From the look of things many Nigerians will not be traveling for this Christmas and New Year’ Abdulrazak Akinwumi pointed out.
Nelly Chioma, a fresh graduate, working at one of the local government offices in Delta state, says she is most likely not to travel to Lagos to celebrate the Christmas with her parents and siblings because what she hears that is being charged as transport fare when the Yuletide has not drawn all that near, if true, means she will not be travelling, saying ‘where will one get N50, 000 to travel in this hard times, and pay same when coming back to base.’
To Obiajulu Nwanopue, a commercial driver the plies Asaba to Port-Harcourt, transport system will witness low patronage because many will not be traveling this time around. Every intending passenger has one reason or the other for traveling. And the reason for the season we just entered is for various families to re-unite. But as things are now, with high cost of living everywhere, costly fuel, high transport charges, high this, high that, traveling this time will be difficult. Even now we have not pushed up the price all that because we are waiting for Christmas to be like one week before we do that, many coming to the park are forced to go back, with just only few willing to pay. You can imagine what we are passing through now.’
Ojim Gbenoba from Ika South, a commercial driver on the Asaba-Lagos –Ibadan route, says some commercial drivers are actually over reacting to the fuel issue as if they are not making any profit out of their trips. He says, if for instance you filled the petrol tank of your vehicle with say N80, 000 as against the N30 or N40, 000 you used to get it filled, and you have 18 a passengers in your bus that paid say N40, 000 from Asaba to Lagos, that putting other unforeseen expenses aside, like settling the police on the road, and other charges collected at the motor park, that you will still be left with something reasonable after all settlements, and wondered why the outrageous transport fares will be allowed to be taking place.
‘’Most of us commercial drivers, whether bus, luxury or Keke drivers, are wicked when it comes to charging passengers over transport fares. No matter the circumstance, we all still make our profits. Most commercial drivers are greedy; that is the point I’m trying to stress here. Whatever price petrol is pegged, we can always make profit even if it is not much. Sometimes I pity commuters and other passengers who travel long distances outside their base because of the high transport fares they are made to pay.’
He, however, called on the federal government which he says is the cause of all the problems currently facing the country to do something more positive to ameliorate the sufferings of the masses.
On the possibility of Nigerians travelling to their various communities for the Christmas, Ojim Gbenoba who claimed to have started driving at the age of 18 and now 36 years behind the steering wheels as a commercial bus driver says the sign that many will not be travelling for the two festivities, Christmas and New Year is already there. Even now, we have started experiencing it, which is getting the sign that only few will be willing to travel this year due to high transport fares being charged.
The commercial bus driver says ‘even if we get some people travelling this year, it can never be like last year when we witnessed good number of people travelling to their various villages to celebrate the seasonal festival.’
According to him, the removal of oil subsidy by President Bola Tinubu which speedily brought the already ailing economy completely down on its knees has been responsible for the many problems and challenges most Nigerians are facing today. He says a situation when some people find it difficult to feed once in a day is most worrisome. He stressed that whatever that could be done to revive the bad economy should be urgently done to save us from the laughable and ridiculous level nearly all Nigerians have been brought to, adding that Nigeria is a place where people will be suffering and at the same time, smiling.
He called on other commercial drivers to show some maturity when these outrageous charges on transport fares are being forced on intending passengers to be paid.
