In the Driver’s Seat

I remember vividly a pastor of the local church my family attended. I will call him ‘Pastor Ade.’ I was ten years and attending the children chapter of my local church in Nigeria. Pastor Ade attended the house fellowship in my parent’s house which occurs every fourth Sundays of the month. He was gentle, even in his walk, and with a smile, will give the children a high five, a pat on the back and speak a word of prophesy to us. We as children would jump on and get a big hug from him.

He dropped in unexpectedly on a particular Thursday evening, chatted with my mum for several minutes, informed my mum he was going out of the state for a burial party to which my mum did not sound particularly excited. After the chat, he got up to leave and informed my mum again of his travel plan to the burial ceremony of a member’s great granny! I vividly recall my mum commented with a frown” a burial party for a great grandmother, and out of state? And she quoted a bible passage, ‘why don’t you let the ‘dead bury the dead’

You see it was not that my mum was averse to socializing, she just did not particularly trust the state of our roads, the infrastructures and emergency aid in place. She never encourages frivolous road travels, and even during our years in the universities outside our state, prevented my brothers and I to jump on the road at the slightest of reasons. Anyways, Pastor Ade smiled in his usual gentle manner and responded, he was a pastor of the flock and had an obligation to the member.

Sadly, that night was the very last time, we saw Pastor Ade. My mum got a call on the phone, the Saturday morning of the weekend and received the shocking news that he had died in a car crash, along with other members of the church.

The driver, though a professional driver was a church member who had attended the party, ran around all night, to serve other members refreshments. It is likely that, he along with the church members did not get enough sleep before setting back home the following day. While driving, our church members slept off, and of course with no one to alert the drowsy driver, he also slept off and crashed the car. Sadly, he was the only person who survived.

According to studies, the most common cause of road accident in the United States are drunk driving as 32% of road fatalities in 2022 were alcohol -induced with men accounting for a higher rate at an approximate ratio of men to women of 3:1; Lack of seatbelt use accounting for 50% of fatalities, Speeding contributing 29%; distracted driving and finally drowsy-induced accidents. While the average American is shocked at the statistic of no of death in the country ‘34,000 per year which is more than the total number of American soldiers who have died from war in Iraq and Afghanistan combined’ it will shock you to know that this is a worldwide tragedy with 1.19million fatalities occurring each year

What steps should be taken to reduce death related to driving?

The United Nations, General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/74/299) on improving Global Road safety. The resolution proclaimed the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with an objective to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030. It encourages member states, United States inclusive to take actions to achieve objectives. Resolutions taken in the United Nations ‘A/RES/74/299’ include:

• Promotion of environmentally sound, safe, accessible, and affordable modes of quality transport, especially public and non-motorized transport and to actively protect and promote pedestrian safety and cycling mobility.

• A focus on vulnerable road users, including children and youth, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

• Provision for vehicle safety, driver standards, road infrastructure, and technology and to address key risk behaviors.

• Post-crash care, rehabilitation, and social reintegration for road traffic victims.

The U.S. supports these efforts through various domestic initiatives, including enacting road safety laws, improving infrastructures and enhancing vehicle safety standards. Stricter legislations such as lowering the blood alcohol content (BAC), the use of technology like Ignition interlock devices for drunk driving offenders should be adopted.

In Nigeria, where I am from, the government has empowered an agency called the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to ensure road safety. The FRSC enforces traffic laws by imposing fines for violations, and repeat offenders face a combination of penalties including fines, imprisonment, license suspension, vehicle impoundment, mandatory community service, and watching educational videos.

Despite the existence of these laws, the FRSC operates with limited resources. To address this challenge, the agency has adopted a resourceful approach. It raises awareness through media campaigns, social media, and community engagement. Campaigns are often tailored to reach less educated drivers by using a commonly accepted ‘pidgin’ English for clearer communication. Additionally, the FRSC engages with young people in schools and religious institutions, and organizes regular workshops, seminars, and video screenings, particularly during festive seasons when the risk of partying and drinking is higher. The graphic content shared during these workshops has been effective in deterring from reckless behavior.

It is pertinent that drivers are informed on the need for safe driving; public campaign, community engagement and use of social media to disseminate impact of road accidents will be effective in reducing fatalities. There should be seminars and video in schools and universities to create an awareness for young adults to prevent underage driving, drunk and distracted driving.

On my part, I never want to inflict injury or death to a fellow driver or vulnerable road users. It is certainly a memory that I cannot live with in my lifetime, therefore I have resolved, no alcohol, no texting or distraction while driving, no speeding and ensuring I observe necessary vehicle maintenance and road safety measures.

In conclusion, I believe every Individual should decide to be a better and safer driver