42 pupils need not perish!

On March 23, 2010 / By Imnakoya / In Activism, Environment, Governance, Human Rights, Nigeria

Another ghastly but preventable road traffic mishap in Nigeria. Excerpts from AllAfrica.com:

The people of Ondo State have continued to mourn the death of about 42 pupils including teachers of Arisent Nursery and Primary School Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, last Wednesday night in a ghastly motor accident along Ondo/Ore road.

The unfortunate incident occurred at about 8.15pm when the pupils and the teachers of the Islamic School were returning from an excursion to Idanre hill. The school bus conveying the pupils and some staff of the school had a head on collision with a trailer due to the ray of the light of the trailer that distracted the driver of the ill-fated bus.

Some questions needing answers

What is the capacity of the bus? The bus appears over filled with 42 students and school staff on board. Not that overfilling would have prevented the accident, but it goes to prove how poorly traffic laws are enforced/understood/obeyed in Nigeria.

Isn’t it time to ban day-time travel for all articulated trucks and lorries in Nigeria? There is hardly any road traffic accident that doe not involve one of these vehicles. If these vehicles are restricted to 10PM – 4AM travel time, they will pose less risk to other travelers.

Road traffic accidents will not be solved without some tough and persistent actions from the overseeing authorities. Some examples:

      Revamping the traffic division of the police; instituting special traffic offense courts;
      Making vehicle owners liable for property damages and death;

      Mandating a mandatory driving lessons for all drivers, and at license renewals. This should be executed in partnership with the private sector; and

      Provision of some form of coordinated rescue and pre-hospital care services along vulnerable routes. Providing ambulances is not enough measure by itself. Accident victims often need to be freed from the wreckage. The quicker and less-traumatic this is done, the better the chances of survival. The availability of vehicle extrication tools and know-how is what optimizes ambulance services and pre-hospital care in road traffic injury setting.
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2 Responses to “42 pupils need not perish!”

  1. From Daily Sun: “Too many pupils were forced into the 18-seater bus hired by the school management to convey the pupils to Idanre hills on an excursion. An eye witness said the pupils were ‘packed like sardines’ into the bus.”

    How could an 18-seat bus accommodate 42 passengers?

    http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/mar/22/newsbreak-22-03-2010-001.htm

    By Benson
    March 23, 2010 at 2:22 pm

  2. Sad sad and sadder still. The school I learnt is unregistered. Ondo State government also said there was a policy that schools on excursions should have official escort vehicles and this was not done. Also learnt that the driver collided with the trailer while overtaking (obviously without due care)! many drivers in Nigeria are too much in a rush and take unnecessary dangerous risks. Ah those poor children and their poor families. A real tragedy.

    By Omotaylor
    March 25, 2010 at 11:02 am

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