JUMADAL THANI 21 1430 A.H.
FRIDAY JUNE, 19 2009
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Enforcing use of safety helmet
By HASSAN MUSA K/MATA
THE policy of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on the compulsory use of crash helmet by motorcyclists and passengers alike, which come into effect January 1, 2009, has already started producing seed of crisis as poor commercial motorcyclists or Achaba have began organizing against the enforcement.
Just few days ago, in the latest of the series of face-off between FRSC men and commercial motorcyclists in Kano held a protest to the headquarters of the commission to further show their anger against the policy. And only recently, one of the FRSC’s regular marshal was beaten to a pulp at Gadon Kaya in the metropolis by aggrieved Achaba men over the arrest of their own over non-compliance.
Across the nation’s capitals, motorcyclists have and are still protesting this policy, especially the Achaba, most of them jobless young, poor peasant who could not cope with the reality of life in villages, unemployed graduates, retired or retrenched workers many of whom even get the motorbikes on lease or at second hand rate and pushed to the business just to survive.
The FRSC officials may mean well with their policy but enforcing it is putting its marshals and motorcyclists on collision course. While motorbikes may not be for commercial purpose alone, the reality however is that majority of the riders are commercial. Moreso, a significant proportion of this majority in the business are suppose to be either in school or contributing to national growth but pushed to the life risking business.
Although the law on the use of safety helmets predates the advent of the FRSC, which was established in 1988, the lack of the political will to enforce it in the past has largely rendered it moribund. So the attempt to revive the law is a commendable effort by the FRSC to rid our roads of needless carnage.
For many reasons, symptomatic of the inefficient national transportation system, motorcycles have become a popular means of public transportation in most urban centres in Nigeria today. Chief among the reasons is the lack of a well thought-out transport system for the increasing urban population and the poor state of urban and inner-city roads. Ironically, this has served to provide means of livelihood for the teeming unemployed population pounding the streets. They include university graduates, artisans and tradesmen whose works depend mainly on our non-functional public utilities like electricity.
To the average Achaba rider, the use of helmet translates to inconvenience and unnecessary expenses in the face of biting economic condition. It also serves as a way of boosting the FRSC’s revenue as evedent in their eagerness to not only case non-compliant riders but also rush to fine them. That was why there were jubilations among FRSC officials when the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro announced that the police are not going to enforce the use of crash helmet.
And to an average passenger, it is too dangerous to wear a helmet provided by an Achaba rider. The fear of disappearing for ritual purposes or getting unnecessary infectious diseases are factors that make many heart palpitate at sight of the head protector.
One wonders why the FRSC men felt that of all the traffic rules and regulations, only enforcing the use of crash helmet is so important. While one is not in any way condoning the reckless and high handedness of the Achaba men, it is unfortunate the way and manner in which regular marshals come out in force to unduly harass young Nigerians who have been driven to Achaba riding by the harsh economic conditions.
The helmet policy has nothing to do with basic cause of accident. In actual fact, it is unscientific attempt to reduce the impact of no fact has been adduced by the FRSC that major motorbike accidents leading to deaths are caused mainly by head injury.
While men of the FRSC are all out to enforce the use of crash helmet, they look the other way when the `untouchables’ ride in their cars making calls on the wheel or flagrantly breaking traffic laws or their underage kids driving recklessly at speed to kill. Many accident do occur on our roads and one hardly see officials of the FRSC coming to render rescue operations.
It has been established that it is breakdown of infrastructural facilities and the absence of an efficient transport system that are behind road accidents. And it is the same reason that arose Achaba business. Because the state of the nation’s roads has made vehicles avoid intra-city/town and street road, while public transport system has failed. That same way, railway system was destroyed only for the heavy vehicles with their huge weights to take over the roads.
It is part of FRSC’s statutory function to advise the federal ministry of works on the state of the nation’s roads. However, it appears, the commission is not ready to expose this failure and demand infrastructural development vis-à-vis roads rehabilitation and construction for accident – free society. The recent fatal accident along Kano-Gwarzo road that led to the death of 21 members of a single family was said to have occurred while the driver was trying to avoid pot holes and eventually rammed into an incoming vehicle.
Worst of it all, is the way and manner in which the road marshals impound motorbikes and rush to fine the offenders, the least being N2,000 and only payable at designated bank. That was why most of such motorbikes remain uncollected for their owners could not afford the fine and at the same time acquire the helmet.
The immediate result of this is the denial of the poor commercial operators and their dependent, means of livelihood as most of them will find it difficult to get other jobs. This will in turn further endanger more crimes, while poverty will dwell in the land the more. And in the absence of alternative structures mobilizing people for a change, social tensions will take charge.
Under this scenario, the crash helmet policy is nothing but an attempt by government to place its burden of irresponsibility on the people. In the first place, why do the government allow the importation of motorbikes without safety facilities? Even if they have the policy demands that the passenger must also use the helmet. How safe is the use of the helmet by different people?
Therefore, as its statutory role, FRSC should campaign for major road construction and rehabilitation as well as integrated, organized and cheap public transport system in the case of government as way of reducing accident on our roads. It should not be engaged in enforcing laws which are unpopular. Agreed laws should be enforced but they should not be surprised that this one (crash helmet policy) is not the most important law to be opposed.
K/mata is a staff of Triumph
