ROAD accidents are nothing new on Alimosho roads, as various reasons account for such incidents, ranging from carelessness on the part of drivers and passengers, broken down or faulty vehicles, or even spillage of slippery content on tarred roads.
In a 2022 report by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Government agency said that it responded to 1,682 incidents from January to December 2022, with Alimosho LGA accounting for the highest at 239 cases.
ICYMI: 2022 IN REVIEW: ALIMOSHO RANKS HIGHEST IN NUMBER OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IN LAGOS WITH 239 CASES
Just this Monday, January 23, 2023, two ad-hoc female health workers and a man were killed in a road accident around Alhaji Ede Bus Stop, along LASU Road, Igando, in the Igando-Ikotun LCDA of Alimosho LGA at about noon. According to media reports, eyewitnesses said they were hit by a driver who was at high speed. Three others – two ad-hoc health workers and another man – were also injured and were rushed to the Alimosho General Hospital for treatment.
ICYMI: TRAGIC: VEHICLE KILLS MAN, TWO FEMALE HEALTH WORKERS, INJURES 3 OTHERS IN IGANDO
While we are still struggling to digest this bad news, another accident occurred just close to the Igando bus stop this morning, Thursday, January 25, 2023. As vehicles were stuck in the usual morning traffic, 'okada' riders tried to find their way in-between cars, even on pedestrian walkways. Unfortunately, a child seated in the front seat of a car mistakenly opened the door, only for the okada man and his passenger to hit the door and fall off the motorcycle.
Who knows what would have happened if the motorcycle was at high speed? The parent had to come down to apologise to the already-angry rider and passenger.
Parents have to learn a huge lesson from this, as this could have led to the death of those two innocent people, or worse still, the child could have fallen off the vehicle to the road.
It is safer for your children to travel in the rear seats than in the front. Some parents like to be able to keep an eye on their baby or child and so put them in the front. But, they are safer in the rear, and remember, if you are trying to drive and look after a child at the same time, you will be distracted and more likely to crash.
In a head-on crash (the most common and deadly type of collision), a child in the front seat can be thrown into your car's dashboard or through the windshield. Even if they're properly buckled in, they're at much greater risk of being hurt by objects intruding into the car while riding in the front.
Most importantly, parents should lock their cars when carrying children, as these young ones can mistakenly open the doors while the vehicle is still moving. Let us all try to make our roads safer for each and every one of us in Alimosho.
