Amongst the causes of accidents in Nigeria, overspeeding and dangerous overtaking are prominent,Iam therefore calling for more attention on result – oriented driver education and discipline among road users, government traffic management agencies and other stakeholders.

Efforts are currently being made by the Federal Road Safety Commission to enforce the installation of speed limiters in vehicles while overnments (Federal, state and local) are gradually waking up to install more speed limit signs on the roads in various parts of the country.

Be that as it may, there are some critical facts which I want to highlight for every driver (or Rider) to remember when driving (or riding).

No matter the speed limit specified in the Highway Code or installed on the roads, every driver (or rider) must know that over- speeding is relative and depends on other factors such as:

1. The condition of the road surface.
2. The weather or visibility (night, raining or cloudy).
3. The condition of the vehicle.
4. The volume of traffic on the road.
5. The knowledge, skill and experience of the driver.

Every driver (or rider) must therefore know that the speed limit installed on the road or in the Highway Code is not a target to accomplish but a guide. You therefore need to consider the above – mentioned points among others, to determine the appropriate or safe speed at any point in time.

Based on the researches I previously carried out and my experience in driver training, I found out that quite a lot of drivers were guilty of wrong overtaking while a lot did not follow the MSM(Mirrors, Signal, Maneuver) /PSL(Position, Speed, Look-looking, assessing, deciding, and acting) routine for overtaking.

At this juncture, I want to remind all drivers that they must not overtake at corners (road bends), on a hill, on a bridge, at junctions, at a roundabout, at bus stops, markets or rowdy places where it is difficult to predict the next move of other road users. It is also dangerous to join other vehicles to overtake in a queue, particularly when you cannot see the oncoming vehicles.

Furthermore, I want to reiterate here that every driver (or rider) must understand and practise the MSM routine for overtaking. That is, when you are planning to overtake, you must first of all check your mirror to know if another vehicle is already overtaking from behind.If the back is free, then signal your intention to move out of your lane as a message to the upcoming vehicles behind you, then maneuver by pulling out (with the following distance rule kept), move past the vehicle you are overtaking up to the point where you can clearly see the whole parts of the vehicleyou just passed, through your side mirror, then use your turn indicator (pointer) again to signal and return  to your lane (while still maintaining the following distance rule).

Driving is a complex activity and must be given the right attention without giving room to distractions. Total compliance to the s  afe driving rules, and road traffic laws are very fundamental to ensuring safety on Nigeria roads.

 

 

Source: The Nation Nigeria