Everyone is now afraid when it comes to driving too close to any fuel tanker/container laden trucks because of the manners they drive with their improper latched luggage, creating fear in the minds of road users. Looking critically at the causes of this carnage that is bedeviling our roads, one can easily deduce that, this is mostly as a consequence of human error.
READ ALSO: I PLEDGE TO DRIVE SAFE, A CALL TO ALL NIGERIAN DRIVERS
READ ALSO: I PLEDGE TO DRIVE SAFE, A CALL TO ALL NIGERIAN DRIVERS
Two wrongs, they say, cannot make a right - neither has the government nor the road users have lived up to both of their responsibilities. And they're both like an incomplete part of each other - two elements that one cannot say to be optimally functioning without the other.
In a democracy, government exists because people elect them and the masses on the other hand, look up to government for good governance, which includes, people friendly policies, maintaining the principles of law and so on. Thus, one cannot function without the other.
But in this case of incessant road traffic crashes in Nigeria, both have been operating on opposite sides. The government has not upheld the rule of law optimally and road users see the law as just an ink written on the sheet of paper with no effect whatsoever.
From the government position, defending the rule of law has been a scenario of "the blind leading the blind". Just few weeks back, A federal legislator was reported to have run the red light and collided with a U.S Embassy envoy car. Such a lawless behavior sends wrong signal to other agencies of government in charge of road traffic enforcement and the general populace that violation of the law means nothing.
The Nigerian Army and police is another agency of government that is ever ready to flaunt the road traffic law. While Federal Road Safety Corps have not been adequately equipped to prosecute and promote the real business of saving lives on Nigerian roads.
Failure has also shown on the part of the government in the area of road infrastructural decay, inefficient policy on maintenance and sustenance of the road network and ineffective enforcement of road traffic laws.
Road users, on the other hand have key into the irresponsible action of the government and its agencies by displaying all sorts of lackadaisical attitude and wanting disregard for the rule of the road.
Ever ready to blame the government for any road traffic incident, forgetting that Safety starts with them as road users. And nobody should expect safety as a right, he/she is so deserving. Because, it's not automatic and it's not guaranteed. You may, however, have some right to safety if 'YOU' as a road user 'ACT' in a safe manner.
"ACT SAFELY to EXPECT SAFETY".
The I-don't-care attitude of both parties are little tensions that build up independent of one another but eventually fuse together for a potentially big one, luckily, the little tensions can be resolved individually as well.
The government should start living up to its responsibilities by correcting all its deficiencies highlighted above. And start engaging road users in a friendly manner, explain why the law should be obeyed and respected because it for the safety and guidance of all (road users), driver's education and enlightenment should be a continuous thing, and crown it with effective enforcement on erring driver(s) with no favor to any sacred cow.
Road users should imbibe a safe driving culture, respect the rule of the road, for knowing the law is not enough, we must apply it dictates for the safety of all.
Failure has also shown on the part of the government in the area of road infrastructural decay, inefficient policy on maintenance and sustenance of the road network and ineffective enforcement of road traffic laws.
Road users, on the other hand have key into the irresponsible action of the government and its agencies by displaying all sorts of lackadaisical attitude and wanting disregard for the rule of the road.
Ever ready to blame the government for any road traffic incident, forgetting that Safety starts with them as road users. And nobody should expect safety as a right, he/she is so deserving. Because, it's not automatic and it's not guaranteed. You may, however, have some right to safety if 'YOU' as a road user 'ACT' in a safe manner.
"ACT SAFELY to EXPECT SAFETY".
The I-don't-care attitude of both parties are little tensions that build up independent of one another but eventually fuse together for a potentially big one, luckily, the little tensions can be resolved individually as well.
The government should start living up to its responsibilities by correcting all its deficiencies highlighted above. And start engaging road users in a friendly manner, explain why the law should be obeyed and respected because it for the safety and guidance of all (road users), driver's education and enlightenment should be a continuous thing, and crown it with effective enforcement on erring driver(s) with no favor to any sacred cow.
Road users should imbibe a safe driving culture, respect the rule of the road, for knowing the law is not enough, we must apply it dictates for the safety of all.
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