traffic rules and regulations by eguriase s. m. okaka
Traffic Rules and Regulation
By Eguriase S. M. Okaka
Traffic rules and regulations came into Nigeria during the colonial era. Traffic rules and regulations are passed into law by every country to guarantee the safety of all road users. With the increase of vehicular movement in Nigeria, the laws on road traffic must be properly handled by the authority in charge. The National Road Traffic Act was enacted on 1st January, 1949 which later gave birth to vehicle inspection office.
Meaning of Traffic Rules and Regulations
Traffic rules and regulations are acts or laws enacted by the legislature of a country to make our roads accident free. It is called the Highway Code in Nigeria. These laws are made to check driver’s behavior.
Traffic rules and regulations could also be define as sets of statements and symbols which direct road users at any given circumstance on what to do and what must not be done in order to avoid accident and ensure safety for all road users.
Traffic Rules and Regulations in Nigeria
In every countries of the world, there are regulations to checkmate road users so that they can avoid accident and death on our road. Some of the Traffic rules and regulations in Nigeria are as follow:
• Every vehicle that plies the road must be registered by the appropriate authority e.g. vehicle licensing office.
• All potential drivers must undergo basic training and pass the driving test before driver’s license is issued.
• All drivers plying Nigeria road must possess a valid driver’s license issued Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
• It is an offense for any person under 18 years of age to drive in Nigeria.
• It is an offense to drink alcohol and driver on the road.
• Mentally or physically unfit persons are not allowed to driver on our roads.
• Drivers must obey traffic limits. They have to drive within the recommended speed limits. Over speeding can cause accident.
• Drivers should stop for pedestrians to cross when he or she sees zebra crossing sign on the road because at zebra crossing, the pedestrians have the right of way.
• Traffic lights and road signs must be obeyed by all road users.
• Traffic officials are traffic law enforcement agents, e.g. Federal Road Safety officials should be obeyed.
• Overloading a vehicle with passengers and goods are prohibited.
• Driving and parking of car on the walkway is prohibited.
• Drivers should not overtake at a bend.
• Answering of phone calls when driving is prohibited.
• Drivers should always put on seatbelt when driving on the road.
• Driving a vehicle without a number plate or detective number is not permitted.
• Driving without fire extinguisher in your car is not permitted.
• Spare tire is necessary in every car.
• Every driver that plies the road should acquaint himself with all the road signs.
Traffic Signs
Traffic Light Signs: Light signs enable drivers and motorists to know when to stop and move at junctions in order to avoid accident and traffic holdup on our roads. The light signs include the following:
The Red Light
The red color light indicates that drivers/motorists should come to a full stop behind the stop line until the light turns green. This also enables pedestrians to cross or pass to the other side of the road.
The Amber (Yellow) Light
Amber (yellow light means get ready.
The amber (yellow) light indicates that drivers/motorist should get ready but must not pass or go until the light turns green.
The Green Light
The Green light means go.
The green light color indicates that drivers/motorist should go.
Road Signs
Road signs explain traffic regulations and make road users (drivers/motorists know the conditions and caution to be taken on the roads. These road signs are identified with their shapes and colors. Every road user should be very careful, be at alert adhere to the road signs order. The roads include:
Diagram
Zebra Crossing or Pedestrian Crossing: (A sign of black and white color painted across the road). It means the driver or motorist should stop for pedestrians to the road.
WARNING SIGNS
These signs are used to alert drivers/motorist of danger ahead of him or her when plying the road. It is also called caution sign, it warns the drivers or motorist to be 100% alert of the speed of the vehicle to ensure safety for himself and other road users.
Warning signs are usually triangular in shapes painted with amber or red color.
Some of the warning signs are:
Regulatory signs: These signs are to regulate or control the actions of drivers/motorists who ply the roads. The shapes are usually painted with red or amber color.
Diagram
Causes of Road Accident
The following causes road accidents on our roads include:
• Over speeding: Most of the fatal accidents on our road today are due to over speeding. Over speeding multiplies the risk of accidents and severity of injury. Faster vehicles are more prone to accident than the slower one. Drivers/motorist should resist the urge of over speeding and drive within the specified speed limits.
• Drunk driving by motorist: Consumption of alcohol by motorists who drive on the road increases the risk of accidents on our roads. Alcohol reduces the concentration, and hampers vision, dampens fear and sometimes incites human beings to take unnecessary risk. All these influences on a drunken driver usually cause accidents. Drivers/motorist must not drive under the influence of alcohol.
• Poor condition of our roads: The poor condition of our roads could take the form of pot holes, eroded roads, damaged road or illegal speed breakers. Each of this can cause road accidents.
• Poor weather condition: Instances of this can be snow in Europe, heavy rainfall, wind storm, harmattan wind, etc. all these have effects on the motorist’s vision and the vehicle which may lead to accident.
• Distraction to drivers: Distraction while driving is also one of the causes of accident. Some of the ways the drivers can be distracted involves talking on phones while driving, talking or arguing with passengers while driving, adjusting mirror or seatbelts while driving, etc. while driving, there should not be answering of calls, no sending of text messages, no eating, no reading, no talking or arguing in order to avoid accident on our roads.
• Drug abuse by motorist/drivers: Drugs include marijuana (morocco), cocaine and other illegal drugs. The intake of these drugs by drivers while driving leads to terrible accidents. Never drive if you are under the influence of any drug whether prescribed or not.
• Teenage drivers: According to the driving laws anybody below the age of 18years is not expected to drive in Nigeria. A teenager does not have the experience to know what to do in unsafe conditions and his naivety often cause accidents on our roads.
• Poor conditions of vehicles plying the roads: Sometimes, accidents are caused by the bad conditions of our vehicles. So it is important for motorists and car owners to take their vehicles for regular maintenance.
• Lack of knowledge of road signs: Many of the road users do not know or have any knowledge of road signs. Based on this, they drive without care thereby causing terrible accidents on our roads.
• Broken down vehicles on the roads: This is also one of the causes of road accidents especially in the night. So, every broken down vehicle must be removed from the road on time in order to avoid accident.
• Non-adherence to driving rules and regulations by motorist.
• Government (traffic agents not living up to their responsibilities), not performing their duties and jobs as required.
Effects of Road Accidents
The following are some of the effects of road accidents in Nigerian.
• Loss of lives: When people lose their lives in diverse kinds of road accident as a result of motorists reckless driving, they also die with their skills, talents, ideas etc., which would have been used to better the lot of the society.
• Sustained injuries and health concerns: Victims of fatal accidents sometimes sustain injuries that make them to loss their legs, hand, eyes, vital parts of their bodies which make many of them to become redundant. Some even live on drugs for the rest of their lives. All these together have increased the health concerns of many Nigerians.
• Economic hardships: When people become unfit and redundant as a result of accident they had; they may not be able to generate funds to take care of themselves a and improve their standard of living. The accident victims and the people around them suffer even as their standard of living falls.
• Loss of properties: The vehicles and other goods involved in accidents are destroyed.
• Loss of man hours (time wasting): When an accident happens, the valuable time that is supposed to be used for meaningful things will be wasted.
NOTE: With the effects of road accidents enumerated above, Nigeria has been losing men and women with great potentials through road accidents. This is why our road users must be safety conscious and adhere to road safety rules and regulations.
Consequences of Disobeying Traffic Rules and Regulations
Loss of properties
May lead to accident
Death (loss of lives)
Traffic hold up
Time wasting
Physical disability
AGENCIES TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC RULES AND REGULATIONS IN NIGERIA
These agencies are established by laws made by the federal and state legislatures are:
• Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC): The federal Road safety is a traffic agency set up by the Federal government of Nigeria. It was established basically for road safety administration in the country. The FRSC was introduced in 1988.
FUNCTIONS OF THE FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY CORPS
Issuing of driver’s license to tested and qualified drivers.
Preventing accidents on the highways.
Informing and educating motorists and road users on how to user the highways in order to avoid accident.
Production of vehicle number plates.
Ensuring the removal of obstruction on the highways in order to avoid accidents on our roads.
Giving prompt attention to road accident victims.
Ensuring that road users comply with speed limits, traffic, rules and regulations, etc.
To ensure that the highways in the country are safe for motorists and all road users.
VEHICLE INSPECTION OFFICERS (VIO)
Function of vehicle inspection officers
To ensure all vehicles plying the roads are roadworthy at all times.
Train and test drivers before being issued driver’s license.
Organized seminars and public lectures in order to educate drivers.
Testing of bike riders for rider’s card.
To carry out inspection on accident vehicles.
The issue of certification of driving school.
Inspection and issuance of road worthiness certificate to all types of vehicles.
Cooperate with other agencies to enforce traffic rules and regulations, etc.
QUESTIONS
• Explain traffic rules and regulations in Nigeria.
• State three traffic rules in Nigeria.
• Describe the functions of the traffic light signals:
Green color light
Red color light
Yellow color light
• What are the important of road signs to our road users?
• State the functions of the following signs:
a) Zebra-crossing
b) Stop
c) Continuous white line
d) Continuous yellow line
• State eight causes of accidents on our road.
• State three effects of road accidents.
• List two agencies that enforce traffic rules and regulations in Nigeria
• State four functions of FRSC
• Write the full meaning of the following:
a) V.I.O
b) FRSC
Eguria.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment
Comment from message gained, lessons learned, and suggestions to improve this blog.