This article wasn't part of my plan today. But the incident that occured today triggered me to write this.
How can some drivers be so heartless. Let me start with what I experienced today. I was able to witness the incidence because I went outside the campus to get some things.
A lady was standing by the road side, waiting for the road to be free before crossing. And this car was coming from nowhere and was driving towards her with speed. The lady had to jump away from the road, as she jumped, she slipped and she fell into the gutter.
Would you believe the driver did not wait to ask if she is okay, he drove off without looking back. The lady got injured and was wet by the dirty water in the gutter. She was helped by the traders nearby to get up and was given water to cleanse her body.
Accidents caused due to careless driving is too rampant in this part of state I'm in currently. At least cars wait at Zebra crossing for civilians to pass, that doesn't work here in Ibadan. Earlier this morning, a driver almost crushed my legs with his car, and instead of apologizing, he abused me again shouting "are you blind" even the people that witnessed it were surprised and told me not to mind him.
Reasons why they drive recklessly
Here are some reason why I believe they drive so recklessly.
Alcohol- Alcohol is the number one factor affecting drivers. They drink and drive, their eyes will turn red and they would be weak. They might even feel dizzy while driving which will endanger the lives of their passengers.
Smoking- lot of drivers in Nigeria smoke and drive at the same time. They don't even care if the smokes of the cigarettes will affect the passengers.
To much hurry- This is common to bus drivers, they want to get to the destination as fast as possible so as to earn much per day.
Receiving calls- accidents occurs in cases whereby a driver is receiving a phone call. If he or she receives a bad or heartbreaking information through the phone, he/she will loose control of the wheel.
Competition- Most of the drivers compete against each other. They want to prove to each other that they are better. So they drive with full speed which leads to accidents.
Bad Vehicles- lot of cars that aren't road approved are being used by these drivers. Cars with faulty brake, cars with no head light, cars with no windows and so on. When these things are absent in cars, the car won't function well, thereby leading to accident.
Female Drivers are caring
I've never witnessed any Female driving carelessly or being violent. They are caring and always careful while driving. Maybe it's because of the motherly love in them or probably because they don't smoke and drink.
The Sango road ( the road in front of University of Ibadan) is known to be busy always. Students cross the roads every single minutes, so the road agencies will stop the cars for students to pass.
This last sunday, the road agencies were not at work, so there was no one to control the cars. We waited for about five (5) minutes on a spot wanting to cross the road. These drivers didn't wait for us to cross the road. Not until a female driver with a motherly love stopped and told us to cross. That was when I knew female drivers are more responsible than male drivers. Though they might not be an expert on the wheel but they have a heart.
To all drivers, please let us drive carefully, do not smoke, drink or receive calls while driving.
Thanks for reading ❤️❤️