Rascality Two: Careless driving in between lanes

This is another critical problem we have on our highways today and I must confess it’s the most annoying one to me. My wife can testify on how I always take it personal with such recklessness when I newly moved back to Nigeria in the year 2014, I find it appalling whenever I see a vehicle ahead of me weaving into two lanes thereby blocking the two lanes at a time without the intention of changing lane. At least a good number of FCT motorway are subdivided into dedicated parallel sections for different users, and this separate one lane from another, but I discovered we have a lot of selfish drivers on our roads in Nigeria who will even prefer the other motorists crash rather than give way.

I would like to highlight some of the reasons why motorists drive on the parallel lines that separate two lanes in Nigeria and other careless driving in between lanes as I have observed.

1. Loosing track at bend: I sometimes don’t understand the logic behind driver going out of a lane when they approach a bend or at a roundabout, maybe the tires just drifted by itself at bend or something, I don’t understand. That’s on a lighter note though. The simple logic behind this is that driver refuse to slow down on speed while approaching bend and obviously some can still maintain their lane at a bend even with the speed they are on, but they just get lazy to roll their steering along with the track and would rather deviate to other lanes. However, what we fail to understand is that we impede and frustrate other motorist behind us, who are trying to figure out on what lane we really are.
2. Absent mindedness: Some motorist are cumbered with certain burden/difficulties and are sometimes lost in thoughts while on the wheel. This means it’s not a ‘deliberate act’ to cause havoc to others but it’s a ‘deliberate wrong doing’ because on no account should someone who is not mentally sound drive. You will simply be risking your life and the lives of other if you do so.
3. Selfishness: This one is so funny to me, because I always wonder when driving on highway has become a competition. Certain motorists block two lane just to make sure no one overtake them while they are busy with their indecisions on the road and unfortunately many drivers do that. Some suddenly speed up when another vehicle had overtaken them, just to catch up because they want to prove they are fast runners. I noticed this competitive habit rest in the subconscious mind of some drivers. Please when next you see such a drivers around you, kindly tell them to go enroll in car race and leave the highway for sane drivers.
4. Wrong approach on lane changing: It’s absolutely unjust to change lane without checking your two side mirrors, inner mirror and do your “head checks” (Looking above your shoulders) to check your blind spots and be sure the coast is clear before changing lane. Also you must signal your intention with use of trafficator before you change lane and not already changing lane before you remember to signal your intention because someone you are already obstructing blows his/her horn. More so, it is not automatic that you have to change lane immediately you signal your intention by pointing to the direction you intend to go because you believe the upcoming vehicle will wait, absolute “NO”. This is because the overtaking vehicle could be so close to you and emergency use of brake at his/her speed can lead to accident. So you have to do your head checks and check your mirrors before you change lane, actually many drivers on our road doesn't understand head check nor practice it. I think I will probably do a comprehensive piece on lane changing and the use of trafficator in subsequent post before I bore my readers here.
5. Use of Mobile Phone and side distractions: Often times, when I drove passed vehicles who had caused obstruction on the road or made it difficult for other motorists to overtake them, I observed that the drivers are either on phone or busy talking and laughing with passengers. This is sicken I must say. It’s very easy to find a right place to park and attend to your call before you continue the journey or better still ignore the call for that moment especially when you know you are not the type that is good at multitasking. Part of your responsibility as a driver is to focus on the activities all around you on the road, the same way you observe vehicles ahead of you in order to take the right decisions is the same way you must often check your inner and side mirror to observe approaching vehicles. You must think for yourself and think for other motorist on the road with you too, especially motorist behind you. When you notice you are obstructing in any way, try and make it easy for them to drive smoothly and don’t be selfish.

Make driving easy for yourself and others, and above all let’s drive safely my fellow citizens.

Steve Kay

THE RASCALITY OF NIGERIA ROAD USERS

The need for adequate sensitization on Nigeria road use has compelled me to write on the recklessness of motorist on our roads in Nigeria using Abuja where I live currently as a case study. And I think I will have to pen down some of my observations on the attitude of our road users for a couple of days or weeks.

From study, I understand a lot of organizations and agencies had done sensitization on the causes of accident on our roads, such as over speeding, use of mobile phone while driving, drunk driving, failure to use seat belt, etc. However I will like to focus on some mistakes many of drivers make but we hardly talk about, and which may often lead to road accident.

Rascality One: Disobedience to Road Sign and Traffic Signals

First, I like to commend the government on the road network in Abuja-FCT and the availability of road signs at many junctions and strategic locations, which however I believe can be improved on. I said this because I still observed some key spots where there are no road signs, whether it was never there or it was removed and no one notice it has to be replaced. Having said that, my focus today is how many motorist do obey road signs?

I was driving back home sometimes last week along the airport road, somewhere around Lugbe. I was at that time on the service lane when a driver who I suppose was driving into FHA-Lugbe, was exiting from the expressway into the service lane and almost ran into my car. I had to swerve away from his car slightly and almost had a collision with the vehicle adjacent to me, if not for God’s intervention. Apparently the driver from the expressway refuse to stop or slow down on his speed while linking the service lane, neither was he ready to “give way” to vehicles which were already on the service lane.

I think a lot of motorist in Abuja is guilty of this and same with those who want to join the expressway from service lane. We often say to ourselves the drivers on the highway can sight me at least so he/she will wait, thereby failing to do the right thing.

Many times we failed to understand that some drivers are not fully conscious of the fact that we are trying to join the service lane or expressway and were only focusing on the vehicle which are within their “short view”. Probably they are even distracted by phone call or side talk from passenger.

My advice is that motorist should endeavor to drive slowly and watch out for upcoming vehicles when approaching a junction and always obey the “Give way” sign.

Give way sign in Nigeria

This signs are for our safety if only we Nigerians can appreciate and obey them.

Obeying traffic lights whether day or night is a must with or without a traffic warden, except for emergency vehicles to help reduce response time. However, some drivers of the emergency vehicles in Nigeria also need orientation and what I will call “COMMON SENSE” while on the road. Many times when we disobey this traffic signals we endanger our lives and that of other road user who have the right-of-way. Having said that, I will plead that the government should constantly improve on our traffic lights and signals cut across the country and make it more efficient.

In Summary, the key points to note today are:

1. Driver willingness to obey traffic lights and road sign even when no one is observing
2. Government agencies should cultivate good maintenance culture and constantly improve on the road signs and traffic signals
3. I like to recommend that government agencies like FRSC should have patrol team that will drive amidst motorist to spot offenders, possibly with the use of mobile cameras to capture plate numbers and document offenses. It shouldn’t just be the usual pattern of parking at certain junctions to look out for driver who do not have driver license, knowing fully well that in Nigeria having a driver license doesn’t guarantee knowing how to drive. This method of standing by strategic locations however can be used to arrest defaulters who refuse to pay their fine and can also be done when vehicle license is to be renewed.
4. Familiarity with symbols on traffic and road signs is important for everyday user in order to maintain the safety measures. So I like to recommend that FRSC and other agencies should promote certain jingles and sensitization tips on road signs and traffic rules for drivers who had only crude learning of driving without knowledge of road signs/traffic rules.

        Steve Kay