Partnering To Save Life

The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, partners with Lifeline Care Association and other agencies to reduce the rate of accidents and deaths on the nation's highways

By Onu Okorie & Anita Ochoga

For the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, the period of “ember” months always pose a big challenge. It is a time when death on the nation's highways is usually on the increase as a result of increase in vehicular movement. But this year, the commission is planning to make it less agonising for road users. It has gone into partnership with Lifeline Care Association and Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc to ensure effective patrol of the highways especially during the festive period.
Osita Chidoka, corps marshal and chief executive of FRSC said in addition to creating safety awareness about the risk involved in care-free driving and other reckless attitudes of drivers, Lifeline Care would also be useful in providing first aid materials to help save and administer first aid treatment to accident victims. The association will build life care centres in designated locations on the nation's highways, which will be manned by well trained paramedical personnel. Dr. Nkem Momah, executive director of Lifeline Care told this magazine that the objective of partnering with the FRSC is to reverse the soaring mortality rate among accident victims.
Every traveller will be provided with a life card designed to bridge the communication gap between victims and potential source of help during an emergency. The information will include family, blood group, name of employer, etc. Mutual benefit insurance provides insurance cover for victims. It is expected that every road user, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists and pedestrians should have a card to enable him get prompt medical attention in the event of an accident. This will help to provide prompt dispatch of ambulance team to the accident scene. Where such card is displayed, victims will get free first aid treatment on the scene. It will also give prior information about definitive health facility and save valuable time during “golden hour.”
Investigations have shown that one of the major causes of death of accident victims is delay in rendering assistance to accident victims occasioned by late arrival of rescuers at accident scenes. A study conducted by Afamdi Ezenwa of the department of community heath, College of Medical Science, University of Benin revealed that out of every five accident victims, only one death occurred outside the accident scene. Majority of those who lost their lives died on the spot because of lack of first aid treatment.
Mrs. Ireti Kingibe believes that the partnership between FRSC and Lifeline Care would go a long way to provide rescue assistance for accident victims. A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Okwudili Uzoka called for an innovation to mitigate carnages on the highways and also commended the partnership.
The FRSC also said it would adopt a strategic publicity campaign to educate motorists on the need to apply caution on the road. An FRSC officer who does not want to be named said that one of the reasons some motorists endanger people's lives is because of superstitious beliefs. “Some drivers place their hope on charms to avoid accident instead of careful driving,” he said. But with aggressive campaign that would educate the motorists, the FRSC said it would get the drivers to focus on careful driving, more than any other thing. Most road accidents in the country are traced to reckless and dangerous driving, alcoholism by drivers and sometimes faulty pedestrian attitude. The majority of the accident victims in Nigeria are young adults of between 22 and 30 years. About 75 percent of the victims are male.
Nseobong Akpabio, sector commander of the FRSC Federal Capital Territory command disclosed that the command has so far arrested 1,344 motorists for various traffic offences from January to August this year. He said that 1, 252 of the motorists pleaded guilty to the offence they were charged with while 92 were discharged and acquitted and 11 were jailed for traffic offences.
The risk and accident prevention society of Nigeria, RAPSON, in connection with the ministry of transportation has also launched “operation make Nigeria accident free” campaign to minimise the rate of road accidents this 'ember' month. The ministry of transport had on October 2, 2001 presented a memo before the federal executive council, FEC, on how to minimise accident rate on Nigerian roads. The memo was geared towards ensuring quality control measures on tyres and spare part importation into the country for safety of Nigerian road users. Ben Koko Odohofre, RAPSON chief executive officer told this magazine that, the ministry is putting all necessary measures in place to ensure that Nigerian roads are safe for road users especially during the 'ember' months. He said RAPSON is working with all the federal government agencies to ensure that, immediate action plans are made to save people from the usual loss and panic that have claimed many lives on the road.
The ministry of transportation is also working toward the review of the Road Act of 1953 for proper coordination among the agencies of government tasked with road responsibilities, while RAPSON is organising a national conference on road traffic accident that will compel transport companies to abide by road signs so as to minimise injuries when accident happens. RAPSON is preparing to a launch road accident prevention programme in the 36 states of the federation and FCT. Odohotre is also advocating for the introduction of road traffic education in secondary and primary schools to educate children on the use of road signs.
Public enlightenment officer of the FRSC, Wole Olaniran blamed most road accidents on drivers' impatience. He said over 70 percent of Nigerians need to change their attitude while driving on the highway. Olaniran said the commission has set up a mobile court to try those who run foul of driving rules including overloading, and added that the commission is also working with other road agencies to ensure that the speed level of road users is 90 km per hour as prescribe by the commission’s rules for safety measures.
The FCT sector commander of the FRSC, Akpabio called on the federal government and the contractors handling the dualisation of Abuja-Lokoja road to speed up work on the project because it is the major link for the eastern, western and southern parts of the country and the north. He also called on passengers to caution reckless drivers while on the highway.
Nigeria has the highest rate of road accidents in the world. The World Health Organisation, WHO, estimated that about 1.2 million people die yearly all over the world in automobile accidents leaving 50 million others with injuries.