The Role of Federal Road Safety Corps on Accident Reduction on Nigeria Road
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study are;
- To determine the impact of the role of federal road safety corp (FRSC) in mitigating the level of road accident on Nigerian roads with a case appraisal of its role in reducing accident in Nigeria.
- To ascertain the causes of road accident on Nigerian roads
- To the fundamental role of federal road safety corp (FRSC) in the reduction of accident on Nigerian roads
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
The Federal Road Safety commission (FRSC) is a government agent with statutory responsibility for road safety administration in Nigeria. It was established in 1988. the federal road safety corps (FRSC) operates in all Nigerian states as well as the federal capital territory (FCT) A corps marshal of the FRSC Osita Chidoka (2008) said that 18300 road accidents have claimed 51251 persons injured in Nigeria in the past three years. He further explained errant petroleum tankers drivers were responsible for most of the accident in Nigeria he said that in the first three months of the year 2007, 2119 accidents involving tankers drivers claimed 301 lives meanwhile; one analyst has said the figure of fatalities by the police is a gross under – estimation of the death resulting from accident. Adegbenro (2009) studied the road accidents trends in Nigeria between the period of 1960 and 1989 his study reveal a sharp increase in fatal accident occurrence. Between 1960 and 1969 it was observed that over 18000 death occur as a result of road accidents by the third decade (1980 – 1989) this figure had increase to about five times i.e. more than 9200 death. According to Eke (2001) it has however being observed that most of the factors involving in road accidents are created and control by man. Man initiated the process that may yield a road accidents by traveling, he or she may travel as a pedestrian as a passenger in a vehicle or as the operator of the vehicle. Odero (1998) added that most vehicle operator also fail to ensure the road worthiness of their vehicle before they hit the highway which contributes majorly to road accidents in Nigeria. Occasionally, the vehicle operator fails to adhere to safety regulation for instance, fastening the seatbelt and ensuring safe condition of the vehicles. It has also been observed that during the festival periods and holidays, there are always more vehicles on the Nigeria highways and road, people tend to be rushing to meet certain commitment or to arrive at their destination earlier consequently, there are more accident during theses period than other time. A student, member of the red cross, Miss Kemi Oluwapo said that “road accidents, though labeled accidental, are most time cause by dangerous driving which informs why we keep on having them every day, despite effort by relevant agencies to have them minimized on our road and your surroundings at all times there could be many things going on in traffic all around you, so it is crucial that you pay attention to everything going on around you driving should be your only focus while behind the wheel. Some drivers while on wheels eat their breakfast, drink their coffees, apply their makeup and change their out fits and these are drivers that are involved in accident. (Antigba 1996 and Edom 1989) “the fewer the people that would die from road accidents the better Nigeria will begin to appreciates the federal road safety corps (FRSC) and it is believed that this is possible so talking of being able to show results with the (FRSC), being effective, delivering service reducing road accidents from 100 to 80 percent per month, it is then that service will be known to being delivered. The Federal Road Safety Corps have the responsibility of improving road safety and reducing road accident. Odelowo (1998) believe that the role of intoxication with drugs and alcohol is important in the cause of road accident worldwide. Odeleye (2003) in this view picture the road traffic environment in Nigeria as an environment dominated by abundant combination of largely illiterate or inexperience or drunk or overconfident of drivers, unconcerned about the line of other road users knowing nothing more than the rudiment of money a vehicle and sounding their horn with reckless abandon, meanwhile operating poorly maintained vehicle on high quantity poorly designed ill maintained roads a society that is devoid of traffic law enforcement service and that is ill equipped with emergency Rad Safety facilities where Government, Police, and Military driver flour traffic laws with immunity where paramedical personnel are sometimes called and unconcerned about the agonies of road accident victims. Mr. Osita Chidoka, the Corps Marshal of Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Saturday that road accidents are the biggest killers of Nigerians, more than any other disease. Although he did not provide statistics for a reality check and comparison with other killers, Chidoka said the frequency of accidents has become a great source of concern. “No other disease is killing people in the country like road traffic accidents and this is a source of concern for all the stakeholders,’’ he said in Sokoto at a Special Marshals Sectoral Workshop, with the theme, “Advocacy as a tool for improved road safety activities’’.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to The role of federal road safety corps on accident reduction on Nigeria road
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on The role of federal road safety corps on accident reduction on Nigeria road. 200 staff of federal road safety commission in Rivers State was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain The role of federal road safety corps on accident reduction on Nigeria road. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of federal road safety corps on accident reduction on Nigeria road
Summary
This study was on the role of federal road safety corps on accident reduction on Nigeria road. Three objectives were raised which included: To determine the impact of the role of federal road safety corps (FRSC) in mitigating the level of road accident on Nigerian roads with a case appraisal of its role in reducing accident in Nigeria, to ascertain the causes of road accident on Nigerian roads and to the fundamental role of federal road safety corps (FRSC) in the reduction of accident on Nigerian roads. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of federal road safety commission in Rivers State. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up corps commanders, route commanders, senior officers and junior officers were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The overall goal of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011 – 2020 is to stabilize and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the World by 2020 (WHO, 2011). Also, one of the facts discovered from FRSC‟s „safe road in Nigeria‟, an initiative to reduce road traffic accidents, is that accidents kill more than HIV/ AIDS. Having this fact at hand is a major eye opener to the level of damage and loss it has caused to the nation’s economy. Even though FRSC‟s efforts are noticed nationwide and are seen to be effective in accident reduction, it has been discovered through this study that accidents occur mostly at nights and during rainy season, enforcement equipment’s are inadequate, FRSC desire better working conditions and staff welfare and accident reduction methods need to be improved upon. It is therefore pertinent to intensify efforts on improving these findings to ensure an accident free environment with uttermost urgency. This research work will sensitize the general public on the roles of FRSC in accident reduction and also the roles of every stakeholder in alleviating the eventualities of accident occurrences
Recommendation
- Sustenance of Level FRSC Approach to Traffic Management It is recommended that the FRSC should sustain all the methods it has adopted in the course of managing traffic crashes in the country. Such method as Education/Public enlightenment, enforcement, emergency rescue services and others should be enhanced for better service delivery of reduction in traffic crashes.
- The public enlightenment campaign should be given more boost by ensuring that the corps activities get to the grass root level. The corps should encourage the translation of more of its code or medium of communication in local dialects for easy understanding by the people. More publicity should be given to the corps activities in order to enhance the general knowledge of the public on road safety matters.
References
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- Odeleye J.A. (2003): Improved Road Traffic environment for better child safety in Nigeria Osita Chidoka (2008): 18300 road accidents have cl;aimed 5157 lives and left 13251 persons injured in Nigeria in the past three years”. The Punch Thursday February 14th , 2008 pg. 11
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