Road accident has taken a lot of lives all around the world. It is one of the most dangerous threats to the lives of people.

Close to 1.25million people die in road crashes each year, on average of 3,287 deaths a day. An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled according to the World Health Organization. “disheartening right?”

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 2,598 Nigerians died in road accidents between October 2017 and March 2018 and 15, 815 Nigerians also sustained injuries due to road accidents. It also stated that that tire burst, dangerous driving, speed limit violation which was the main cause of road accidents accounted for 8.26%, 8.42%, and 45.08% respectively.

Safety is the condition of being safe or free from harm. Road safety refers to means by which road users prevent themselves from an accident. Road safety is also the ability of road users to recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.

In most developed countries of the world various measured has been put in place to prevent road accident like developed infrastructure to protect the road users, improved medical care by providing roadside clinics in case of emergency, road safety education to create awareness among drivers, and improved quality of vehicles produced making use of active and passive safety measures.

Important safety precautions all drivers should always observe:

Maintain your car regularly- Every vehicle owners knows how important automobile maintenance is and the danger it can cause if not done regularly.

Always Drive-In Speed Limit- As earlier stated speed limit violation is one of the major causes of road accidents because it reduces reaction time and precautions must always be taken to drive within the speed limit.

Always Obey Traffic Light- Every car owner knows what the traffic signal light stands for (red indicates stop, green indicates go, and yellow indicates to proceed with caution). it is very important to obey the traffic rule and never break the red light to prevent any serious accident.

Always put on your seat belt while driving- According to WHO the use of seat belts reduces risk by almost 50% and helps improve chances of survival during an accident.

Never drink before or during driving- This is another important rule in driving. High alcohol can lead to blurred vision and decreases in reaction time. Driving when drunk is a very serious offense and if caught you will be dealt with.

Avoid using a mobile phone when driving – Using a mobile phone when driving causes a reduction in concentration and can also be a major of a serious accident because you will be distracted and won’t be aware of things going on around you. Using the mobile phone when driving is also serious if caught you will be dealt with accordingly.

Finally, always observes all the safety precaution listed above, have emergency supply kits in your trunk, maintain a good driving etiquette and remember no compensation is worth human life, drive safely.

Source- https://www.autodus.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-road-safety/