ROAD SAFETY ARTICLE Did you know that road traffic crash injuries alone are the leading cause of death among children aged 5-29 years. Did you know these deaths and injuries
Did you know that road traffic crash injuries alone are the leading cause of death among children aged 5-29 years. Did you know these deaths and injuries are not inevitable? They are preventable. Ironically most parents are not concerned, going by their actions behind the wheels. Last week I dealt with some of these bad driving habits behind the wheel.
Did you also know that there are several global instruments geared at tackling child safety globally? They include the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by almost all governments. The Convention outlines in 41 articles the human rights to be respected and protected for every child under the age of eighteen years.
Similarly, the WHO/UNICEF in a report, titled, World report on Child injury prevention, expressed concern that every day around the World, the lives of more than 2000 families are torn apart by the loss of a child to an unintentional injury or so-called “accidents” that could have been prevented….”It noted that children injuries have been neglected for many years.
Yet what I see daily on the streets of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna among other cities marvels me. Despite our level of education and sophistication, parents have over the years refused to copy the developed clime in the area of child protection especially in moving vehicles. This is why I am focusing on raising our sensibilities on making the roads safer especially for children.
Seatbelts, of course, do not prevent an accident-taken place. They do however play a crucial role in reducing the severity of injury to vehicle occupants involved in an accident. Vehicle safety features are distinguished by two categories: “Primary safety and Secondary safety” Primary safety features aim to prevent an accident taking place e.g good breaks tyres, Secondary safety features aim to prevent or minimize injury to a vehicle occupant once the accident has occurred.
In the case of Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Corps, avowed commitment has raised compliance by a range of techniques including education, workshops, stakeholders, publicity and enforcement. However, despite these commitments, compliance to seat belt usage has dropped both at day and night-time driving. What can be deduced from the foregoing is that most motorists still take the issues of seatbelt with levity.
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