STILL ON ANTHONY JOSHUA’S CAR ACCIDENT

The unfortunate road traffic crash involving popular boxer Anthony Joshua, which claimed the lives of two of his friends, is sad and tragic. It is yet another painful reminder of how suddenly lives can be cut short on our roads. Beyond the grief and public attention surrounding the incident, it is important to reflect soberly on what happened and what could have been done differently.

This tragedy once again highlights the alarming number of lives lost daily on Nigerian roads, many of them avoidable. Road traffic crashes have become so frequent that they are often treated as routine news, yet each incident leaves behind devastated families and communities. These deaths are not inevitable; they are largely the result of human actions and systemic failures.

Although the crash itself has come and gone, the lessons must not be ignored. If nothing is learnt, similar incidents will continue to occur. Every major accident presents an opportunity to reassess our driving culture, enforcement systems, and collective attitude toward road safety.

The incident strongly reinforces the repeated calls by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for attitudinal change among drivers and other road users. Reckless driving, impatience, and disregard for traffic regulations remain major contributors to road carnage in Nigeria. Until these behaviors change, accidents will persist regardless of enforcement efforts.

Investigations revealed that the crash was caused by the driver’s violation of the legal speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour on that road, as stipulated in the Nigerian Highway Code. In addition, the driver engaged in wrongful overtaking while overspeeding, making it impossible to regain control of the vehicle. This dangerous combination ultimately led to a collision with a stationary articulated vehicle parked on the outer part of the road.

Equally concerning was the improper parking of the articulated vehicle on such a busy highway. This practice is regrettably common on Nigerian expressways, where broken-down or parked vehicles are left without adequate warning signs. The absence of caution signs to alert approaching drivers has contributed to countless fatal crashes and should be unequivocally condemned.

Commendation, however, must be given to the FRSC officers who arrived at the scene within minutes. Their prompt response ensured that Anthony Joshua was rescued and taken to the hospital swiftly. Such professionalism demonstrates the critical role the corps plays in saving lives under challenging circumstances.

That said, the responsibility of securing lives on our roads should not rest solely on the FRSC. The agency is clearly underfunded and lacks sufficient logistics, equipment, and patrol vehicles to effectively cover the vast road network. Drivers, on their part, must take personal responsibility by obeying traffic rules, particularly speed limits, which remain a leading cause of fatal accidents.

The Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency on traffic accidents in Nigeria. Adequate funding and equipping of the FRSC is essential if accidents are to be reduced to the barest minimum and fatalities prevented. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and only through collective commitment can we hope to end the needless loss of lives on our roads.

Tochukwu Jimo Obi, Abuja