Ex-FRSC Corps Marshall Decries Poor Driving Culture In Nigeria
Chief Osita Chidoka, the former Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has decried the poor observation of road signs among drivers in the country.
Chidoka, a transportation expert and former minister of aviation said the bad driving culture has resulted to the death of pedestrians and other road users.
He said most drivers don’t know the meaning of Zebra crossing signs which protected pedestrian who wished to cross the highway.
He said a personal practical research where he stood on a Zebra crossing with the intention to cross the road revealed that motorist don’t understand the signs as non stopped for him to cross for about 10 minutes.
“I tried my “civilization test” last week in Enugu by standing on a zebra crossing for ten minutes waiting for a car to stop for me to cross. No car stopped. Car owners, drivers both commercial and private paid no heed to a pedestrian standing on a Zebra Crossing,” he said.
Chidoka said there was need to overhaul driving culture in Nigeria by changing the driver’s mindset and volunteered to initiate a private sector approach to addressing the situation.
Chief Chidoka bemoaned the absence of knowledge, skill and behavioral training amongst drivers, noting that the fact that no driver thought it right to stop for him while on the zebra crossing is a sad pointer to the mindset of an average driver in Nigeria.
He said there was also need to work on the response behaviour of drivers in the event of an accident.
“When I read the sad post about Chibuzo Okpara, nine year old son of Collins Chinedu Okpara was knocked down by a motorist my anger swelled.
“Sadly Chibuzo is still in the hospital and we pray for his recovery, I will like to know if the driver stopped or was arrested,” he added.
