FRSC: Save us from bad drivers

Sir,I write to my personal experiences with you about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. We were travelling home to Onitsha last friday. As is expected, there were many vehicles on the road. It is a busy time on the roads because of the festive season. From what I personally saw and listening to the views of my co-passengers, the terror created on the road by petrol tankers is now out of control. It was clear to myself and the other passengers in the bus that, but for the grace of God, we may not be here today. The extremely reckless driving behaviour of petrol tanker drivers must be curtailed. The road traffic managers must begin to think through strategies that can serve as enlightenment campaigns as well as stiff penalties for dangerous driving. Somewhere along the Expressway before Sagamu, a petrol tanker swerved out suddenly in front of our vehicle. It took our driver all the skills he could muster not to crash into this tanker. Fortunately, for us we were able to maneuvers and come to a stop safely. Of course the driver of the tanker did not stop. Having recovered from the shock, we continued on our journey and began to discuss what can be done to inject a proper driving culture on our roads. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has a lot of work to do to bring sanity on to or highways. According to statistics, Nigeria has one of the worst rate of road incidents in the world. Fatalities are high to the extent that our nation is categorised as having 'death traps' as roads. Beyond the poor state of the roads, is the indiscipline which compounds the problem. In advanced countries, drivers of long and articulated vehicles go through special tests before they qualify for a licence. The road traffic police monitor roads and drivers involved in road crashes, are charged to court and have points deducted from their licences. I'm sure there are other measures from other countries; FRSC may want to adopt and localise. My experience on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has made me terrified of travelling by road. But where are the alternatives' Our railways are practically non-existent. We pray that our leaders take note of the bad driving culture and embark on efforts to reverse the unpalatable trend. God bless NigeriaEmenike OfforIjesha-tedo, Lagos
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