‘Road accidents cause 1.24 million deaths yearly’ No fewer than 1.24 million road accidents occur yearly, the United Nations Global Road Safety report has shown. Out of this figure, 92 per cent is from developing countries, including Nigeria. But how to reduce the figure was the focus of a two-day capacity building workshop organised by Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) in collaboration with Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative (AARSI in Abeoukuta, Ogun State. The workshop tagged ‘Traffic managements brought together over 60 Corp members who were trained on conflict management, risk management, management safety and engineering measure, principles of equality, diversity and general standard of conduct of traffic police by a United Kingdom based Potab Consulting and Research Ltd. Speaking at the event, Ogun State Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle said new lease of life for socio-economic development is not without its attendant challenges adding that the state is now open to business and must be prepare for the influx of people and vehicular traffic. This, she said, requires effective and efficient management and adequate machinery for the safety of lives and properties on the road. Mrs Adekunle cited a UN Global Status report on road safety from 182 countries, which indicates that the total number of road traffic death worldwide remains unacceptably high at 1.24million yearly. Adekunle added that only 28 per cent countries covering 7 per cent of the world’s population have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risks factors – drinking, speeding, failing to use helmets, seat belts and child restraints. She said traffic officers must positioned themselves to be equipped with the required knowledge and put the state on the positive side of the fact. Corps Commandant and Chief Executive Officer of TRACE, Ayo Sangofadeji, who indentified various challenges facing traffic control officers in the country called for in-depth analyses on managing road traffic in a developing economy like Nigeria. Sangofadeji said: “The institutions have created conflict and crises and the traffic managers are called to curb it and must do it to the best of their knowledge. “There are certain obvious institutional failure beginning from drivers’ licence, funding agencies with the right equipment, yet the authority want the best from the agencies.” He lamented that Nigeria society has got a culture of impunity. The Executive Secretary, Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative, Mr Ike Okonkwo, said the workshop was carried out to strengthen the efforts of traffic officers in the state to reduce crashes. We commended the various efforts made by TRACE in reducing road crashes in the state, saying: “Lagos, Kwara and Ogun states have become a model on efficient service delivery in traffic management in Nigeria which can be better when best practices across the world are upheld.”
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 09:39:01 +0000
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