ROAD SAFETY By Jonas Agwu
The headline for this piece is mine. But the tragic testimony about Lynda is not mine. It is that of a father pained by the death of his little princess. While pondering on how to address the increasing fatalities involving children, I thought sharing the tragic story will cause a rethink especially for parents and guardians who daily indulge in transporting children in the most irresponsible manner; some either lap children while others allow children who are less than three years to sit in front passenger seat. The most daring ones play good daddy or mummy role by carrying them on the tummy while driving. Some are too caring that they allow the children; no matter how tender, to share the driving with them. Others who cannot afford the luxury vehicles place them on top Lorries carrying goods and passengers.
Lynda’s father is different. His story is not just about the pains and trauma he suffered but the fact that rather than becoming a recluse after this tragedy, he chose to stand up and act to prevent the death of more Lyndas’. Besides his confession, there are also materials culled from the world report on road traffic injury prevention especially the emphasis on interventions such as the use of child restrains that could save thousands if not millions of children not just in Nigeria but across the globe. The use of child restraints has been captured in the 2012 National Road Traffic Regulations as an offence. Section 126 (1) states that “every vehicles shall have fitted in the front and rear seat, seat belt and child safety seat which shall be securely worn by the driver and other occupants of the vehicle while the vehicle is on motion. Section 126 (3) further state that the driver of a vehicle shall be responsible for children who are passengers in such a vehicle and shall ensure the proper use of child lock in every vehicle where one is installed; (b) the proper use of child safety seat for every child that is 7 years and below and that child seat are not install in the front roll of any vehicle.
Lynda is my daughter, he lamented. She was 17 years old when her life was cut short. Lynda was with four friends going on their way to a birthday party. They had just got out of a party and were trying to cross a road where the traffic is heavy and chaotic. There are no traffic lights, no cross walk, just a constant stream of speeding, weaving cars, trucks and buses. You have to dart several lanes of traffic to get to the other side. Lynda was killed by a speed bus as she tried to cross the road. The bus driver didn’t even slow down. I was out of town travelling for my work. My brother- in-law called me to tell me the terrible news that my baby girl had been killed in a road traffic crash on their way to a party with friends. I could have driven her to the party. I could have saved my Angel, he said.
Lynda loved so many things, she loved life. She had an infectious smile. She always had time for other people more than for herself. She wanted to be a pediatric dentist- she loved kids. She had a special l love of angels, she always had pictures or figurines of angels in her room. For us, she has become our Angel who did not live to fulfil her dreams and aspirations.
Everyone was deeply affected by Lynda’s death, her family her friends, the entire community. I think of ripples of pain, an ever-widening circle of those who were affected. My wife, son and I had to leave town after Lynda’s death. It was too painful, too many memories. We relocated from our villa just a few months ago. I guess that earlier on I made a decision: I could roll up into a ball in a fontal position and never wake up. It could be very easy to do this and give up. But I felt that I had tried to make sense out of the senseless, the unbelievable. I decided to do something tangible, something that would save other people’s lives. I decided to commit myself to working with other safety conscious individuals including NGOs, because our daughter lost her life. We are dedicated to making the roads safer for each citizen. Our first project is raising awareness on the real pandemic which is road traffic crashes which has no vaccination, no jab.. Our next step is to ensure sufficient funds are raised through voluntary donations to complete this life saving project. We plan to start a scholarship in Lynda’s name at her school and every year a graduating senior who smiles and brings light to another student’s day is awarded in helping hand. By doing all of this, we hope to save lives and, in our dreams, to see my Lynda, my Angel, looking down upon us and smiling in approval.
Lynda is but one of the many children whose lives and aspirations have been cut short by a road crash. The United Nations annual road safety weeks celebrates different themes without ignoring the need to create safe environment for children. According to the WHO nearly 1.35 million people of all ages are killed in road traffic crashes around the world and up to 50 million more were injured or disabled.
Globally, 21% of road traffic deaths were among children. Road traffic injuries account for almost 30% of all injury deaths among children. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15-19 years and second leading cause among 5-14 years old. Globally, these deaths on the roads account for nearly 2% of all deaths among children. The global losses due to road traffic injuries are estimated to be US$518 billion per annum (36), with the annual cost of road crashes in low-income and middle-income countries estimated at between US$65 billion and US$100 billion. This means those road traffic collisions and their consequences cost governments up to 3% of their gross national product.
As we ponder on the increasing spate of fatalities involving children, the world reports on road traffic injury prevention describes proving interventions of which is a system approach. The systems approach is of particular value in child road safety since it moves away from the idea that children should adapt their behavior to cope with traffic, in favor of an approach that recognizes that children’s needs should be addressed in the design and management of the whole road system among others.
Another intervention is however the use of child restraints which has been made mandatory by the National Road Traffic Regulations, earlier citied. With this legislation, the onus now lies on traffic officers to strictly enforce the use of child restraints. However, the greatest responsibility lies of parents and drivers who have been mandated by the traffic law to ensure that children are properly restrained in moving vehicles. This is one way to ensure that another Deana does not die through a road crash.
