By Wole Mosadomi, MINNA

THE Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, is saddled with the responsibility of bringing sanity to roads in Nigeria in order to curb the rate of accidents on the various  highways. In the estimation of some observers, the Commission’s operatives have been doing this to the best of their abilities. They are usually called to a great deal of task in the last quarter of every year  which have been tagged the “EMBER” months, a period that has come to be associated with more accidents and loss of lives on our highways.

Indeed available statistics on the “EMBER” months represent a grim reality that evokes fear in many Nigerians who have now come to label them the “notorious months”.

The immediate past Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Tumes Sylvanus Dalop in an exclusive interview with Vanguard Features said: “Even without statistics common sense will tell one that accidents and deaths are higher during these “EMBER” months because of the various festivities lined up during this period and which warrant much more travelling; it’s a period when commercial drivers cash in to make more money through overloading, excessive speeding, among others.”

According to him, the statistics of fatal accidents and death that would have been recorded on most roads across the country, especially along Gwagwalada – Abuja, Benin – Ore, Ibadan – Lagos Express roads and about 19 others, would have been higher if not for special patrols always mounted by both the Regular and Special Marshals during these “EMBER” months.

“If these roads are not specially manned during these four months, September to December, every year, the number of accidents and deaths would have been higher because everybody is rushing home or back from one festivity or the other and you know, most drivers are usually impatient as they rush to make more money from passengers and so they over-speed, overload and end up in fatal accidents and loss of lives,” the FRSC boss remarked.

He said despite the sensitization of drivers on the need to be more cautious during the “EMBER” months, they (drivers) tend to ignore the lessons and opt for reckless driving  in their desperate bid to make more money. “We are trying our best but our best is not yet the best because these drivers are very volatile.

Some of them carry weapons and they are heartless and any attempt to stand on their way could prove fatal and if you want to meet force with force, they won’t hesitate to run over you,” the immediate past Sector Commander stressed.

Mr. Dalop pointed out that rather than meet force with force, they have now resorted to taking the numbers of the erring drivers and handing them over to the Police for arrest or report to the owners of the affected transport companies.

STATISTICS OF ROAD ACCIDENTS

It is on record that in 2008, the total number of fatal cases of accident recorded across the 36 states and FCT was 3,024.  Serious cases stood 5,671, while minor cases was 2,646.  Total cases recorded was 11,341 with 6,661 persons killed, 27, 980 injured and 34,641 as total casualties.

In 2009, total fatal accidents across the country was 2,460; serious cases was 6024, minor cases 2,370. Total cases stood at 10,854 with 5,693 killed, 27,270 injured out of a total of 32,963 casualties.

Statistics of road traffic crashes on quarterly  basis show that in the first quarter of 2009, there were 2,855 cases of road accidents with 7,372 injured, 1414 killed out of a total casualty of 8,786, while the second quarter shows 2660 cases with 6720 persons injured, 1699 killed out of 8419 total casualty.

The third quarter shows 2707 cases with 6426 persons injured, 1272 persons killed and 7698 as total casualty; while in the fourth quarter, 2632 cases were recorded, 6752 injured 1308 killed out of a total 8060 casualties. In the fourth quarter, 2632 cases of road accidents were recorded 6752 injured, 1308 killed out of 8060 casualties.

Head, Department of Mass Communication and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Management and the Social Sciences, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, IBBUL, Ternenge Ende, in a paper delivered  at this year’s Annual Sectoral Workshop held in Minna also stated that statistics in 2011 had shown that Nigeria ranked 191 out of 192 countries with unsafe roads  leading to about 162 deaths rate per 100,000 from road traffic accidents and that besides human loss, the country loses over N3 billion  annually as one to three percent of the country’s Gross National Product is lost to road accidents.

Similarly, the Zonal Coordinator of Special Marshal and Partnership Department, Professor S. Oyeleke in his paper delivered at the workshop, informed that the Zonal Commander of the Commission for Lagos and Ogun states on December 6, 2010 said an estimate of 35,000 Nigerians die of road traffic accidents annually and that the life expectancy of Nigerians has deteriorated from 51.01 years in 2003 to 47.56 years in 2011 and that based on these figures, the country’s position shifted from 192 in 2003 to 219 in 2011 on world ranking.

The theme of the workshop which is “Advocacy as a Tool for Improved Road Safety Activities” is aimed at reducing the rate of accidents on our roads, especially during the “EMBER” months.  National Co-ordinator, Special Marshals, Mr. Sini Titsi Kwabe, in his paper called on both Special and the Regular Marshals to brace up, especially in the last two months to see to the total reduction of road accidents and deaths on our highways which he said are avoidable.

He attributed the frequent  fatal accidents on our roads to the increase in the poverty level of the people, poor driving culture, danger of night trips, over loading, dangerous driving, poor vehicle maintenance, among others, saying that there was the possibility of higher figures in subsequent years if nothing is done to arrest the situation.

Mr. Kwabe, however, made it clear that road safety is the business of all Nigerians and therefore advised motorists to complement the role of the FRSC in the realisation of “safer roads and fuller lives”, especially during these “EMBER” months in order to reduce the rate of accidents during the Xmas and New Year celebrations.