According to the Lagos State Drivers’
Institute LASDRI, which has trained about
65,000 drivers since August 2009, about
22 per cent of the trained drivers or
14,300 were discovered to be partially
blind.
The law establishing the institute came
into being in 2007 but LASDRI
commenced operation on August 25h,
2009, with the sole aim of ensuring
improved road safety culture on the
roads.
Road safety culture
Mr. Ayodeji Oyedokun, is the Chief
Executive Officer CEO, LASDRI, while
speaking with Vanguard on the activities
of the institution for over four years,
stated: “We are all aware of the fact that
there are so many drivers with drivers’
license who never had any formal training
in driving technology. We are aware of the
fact that makes people to rush for driver’s
license, which is mainly for an
identification document.
“What we are saying in essence, is that
there are so many people driving out
there that are not supposed to owe
drivers license because they did not pass
through any formal training. This had led
to a lot of carnages on the highway, traffic
snarl and jam, with resultant effect of
gaseous emission into the atmosphere,
which ultimately leads to health hazards,
and loss of man hours, because they do
not know the rules guiding the use of
highway.
“In the highway transportation system,
there are three main factors that
interplay; the human being which is the
driver, the environment-road and the
vehicle, it is the human factor that is key
to the severity or fatality of road crashes.
Therefore, it is the human being that
needs to be worked on in terms of
competence, fitness, mental alertness,
level of eye sight, because driving is about
seeing and being seen, hence, the
government decided to set up LASDRI.”
According to LASDRI boss, before the
commencement of operation, various
researches were carried out where it
showed that 75 percent of auto crashes
were due to human errors.
Statistics of trained drivers as well as
detected defects by LASDRI Optometrist
•From January to July, 2013, 12,017 drivers
were trained and recertified.
•From August 25, 2009 to July, 2013, a
total number of 65,000 drivers trained.
•Out of the 65,000 of drivers tested, 22
percent (approximately, 14,300 drivers)
were found to be suffering from eye
defects, such as myopia and were later
referred to ophthalmologists for
corrective measure.
•And 99.2 per cent of drivers with eye
defects were males, while 1.8 percent
were females.
•1.8 per cent of the detected defects were
myopic (short sighted) while 12.9 percent
were pre-myopic
•3.3 percent long sighted
Relationship with NURTW:
“We are working with, National Union of
Road Transport Workers, NURTW,
recently, most of the taxi cab drivers in
the state came for the training. The yellow
bus drivers, popularly called “Danfo
drivers” are recalcitrant but we are getting
them batch by batch. Though, all the
executive members have been trained. All
the Bus Rapid Transit BRT, drivers, Rapid
Response Squad RRS, drivers are being
sent for training at the centres.”
Advice: “It is an opportunity for
employers of drivers, motorists and the
public to learn how safety can be
enhanced through training. According to
international standard, through training
and retraining of drivers, auto accidents
due to human error, are expected to be
reduced between 35-70 percent.
Drivers are not being given adequate
training but employers give them millions
worth of vehicles to drive without
considering safety of the investment.
Even companies, individuals from outside
the states have been coming for training
even federal government’s drivers have
been coming. Drivers should also
endeavor to have regular eye check up
because in most cases, the capacity of eye
depreciates on daily basis because of
exposure to different factors.
Source Vanguard
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