FRSC at 20: The Challenges Ahead

FRSC at 20: The Challenges Ahead
This year the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) turns 20 years with it's creation. The commission came into existance in 1988 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida , with the aim of regulating the traffic laws on our roads, observe and advise authorities the conditions or worthiness of our roads. They also sanitise the public on importance of abiding by road ethics and regulations.
FRSC claimed that it had been doing alot in the area of sanitising the public on the road safety eventhough it do encounter alot of problems especially from impatient and sturbborn road users including the non-implementation of it's suggestions on conditions of our roads.Road accidents is among the leading disasters that kills human beings , it is the 9th killer as 1.2 million people lost their lives world wide every year with another 50 million or more sustaining various degrees of injuries from road accidents. Annalyst are of the view that if the issue is not tackled adequetly by the year 2020 road accidents can become the 3rd killer of human race world wide. There's hardly no Nigerian Family that road accident had not affected either directly or indirectly. Atleast every Nigerian family had either lost a loved one in road accident , or injured or escaped death by the whiskers in an accident . The question to ask is why is accidents still increasing eventhough FRSC has always double it's effort to curb the menace.Eventhough the condition of our roads are not in proper condition , road worthiness should not be entirely blamed on nature of our road accidents. Reckless driving , overspeading and overloading are among the factors increasing accidents on our roads . And another major factor that increases accidents are the ineffectivesness and willingness by authorities to enforce compliance of rules governing the conduct of our roads in our country.
When will we stop folding our hands and continue to allow road accidents to continue killing our people because of lack of willingness to enforce rules and regulations on our roads? Or are we going to keep watching some "suicide drivers" just because they can drive , to keep on threathing our lives and properties? And when are we going to be firm and decisive on traffic offenders , who after killing or maiming due to recklessness, careless and impatient driving hide behind destiny to get off the hook?
The most dangerous among road users on our roads are drivers of long vehicles , lorries , buses, cars and okada. Due to the nature of their driving it is hardly that one will not see damaged vehicles after accidents have occured especially on our highways.The situation of our roads , in sober or drunk driving and overloading is so bad that it happen that when one will travel , one can't be sure of safe journey due to the recklessness od drivers on our roads.
Among the factors that had become impediments to the functions of FRSC is the lack of the will to enforce the conduct of loading of passengers as it relates to commercial vehicles, that operates within town or those operating on the outskirts and highways. It is now a norm for commercial vehicles to overload and seems to have been accepted as a normal norm. All commercial vehicles from cars to buses do compacted people like sardines, where a car that is made to carry only five passengers including the driver will be compacted with eight or nine passengers. They will load four to five people in the back seat instead of the ideal three. In the front where the driver and a passenger will sit they will put additional one or two passengers excluding the driver. They even load passengers in their "boots" !, same applied with buses where every available space is filled up to capacity with goods and people. On the part of trucks and lorries the story is the same with overloading of goods, and on the far top will be jammed with passengers and animals together.If FRSC are serious in enforcing road rules and regulations, they must enforce all rules irrespective of the flimsy excuses such drivers and their unions cook up to justify their overloading and other indecent habits which has most of the time been the source of accidents on our roads. The commission must have the willingness to punish all offenders according to the rule without fear or favour. Whenever an accident occur they should make sure they investigate both the remote and underlying causes and those found guilty should be punished accordingly . FRSC should ensure that after serving their punishments, their driving license should be seized or revoked in case of ambiguity the commission should seek for amendments and new powers, where ther are short comings in the law governing road ethics and conduct so as to enable it function effectively.
The society also have a special role to play in bringing sanity on our roads, especially the religious leaders who should enlighten people on the importance of seeking compesation to those that have lost their loved ones or those that sustained injuries in accidents due to recklessness of drivers. In most part of the country the acceptable norm is for families to forvige or refuse to seek compesation when one of theirs lost his/her life due to reckless driving. They should be enlighten on the importance of seeking redress and compesation on behalf of their loved ones . Passengers should also protest and stop keeping mum when a reckless " suicide driver" is attempting to terminate their lives and also report such persons to the appropriate authorities.
FRSC should tighten it's belt in saving the lives and properties of innocent citizens from the devilish and unwholesome activities of reckless and overzealous drivers.The FRSC need all the neccessary back up or support from lLocal and State goverments, and organisations to enable it perform it's duty efficiently.
All patrotic citizens should assist FRSC in bringing to and end or to drastically reduce the number of widows, orphans and disabled e.t.c in our country just because of activities of some reckless suiciders who happens to be driving on our roads. Yoursfaithfully Shehu Mustapha Chajishehuchaji@yahoo.com