We Save lives welcomes our first “international” guest blog and we look forward to a continued dialogue concerning solutions locally, nationally and internationally about highway safety.

Chike Nwaka, Assistant Corps Marshal (RTD)

Chike Nwaka is an Assistant Corps Marshal (RTD) of the Federal Road Safety Corp, Nigeria. He has been a top player in road safety administration, management and field operations in Nigeria for more than two decades. His talents go beyond highway safety advocacy. He is also an outstanding Visual Artist, Cartoonist, Creative Writer, Poet and Musician. His passion for life and perfection; creating order from disorder, drove him into the business of creating safety and saving lives on our roads.

Our Partner, ROAD CRASH VICTIMS’ FOUNDATION (Non Profit)

OUR MAJOR CHALLENGES

The prevalent notion that injuries and death remain the unavoidable consequences of road transportation, audacious disregard of road safety rules and regulations, and rude road manners have remained permanent pervading features of the road behavior of majority of Nigerians. In 2009, the Country Road Traffic Crash global fatality ranking placed Nigeria at the 149th position – among the worst and lowest throughout the whole world. This is deplorable! Right from the early stages of the introduction of motorized road transportation in Nigeria till the present day, this situation has remained the entrenched RTC trend in the Nigerian society.

Driver Education is still grossly inadequate. Where it is provided, the usual, timeworn, run-of-the-mill thing is repeatedly fed to the ‘unwilling’ audience compelled to wait out the duration of such drudgery. Driver testing for prospective drivers is virtually non-existent.

Legislations have been ridiculously lenient on serious/criminal road traffic offenses like drunk and distracted driving, while enforcement of traffic rules still leaves much to be desired.

OUR PROGRAMS

At Road Crash Victims’ Foundation, we appreciate the fact that the true understanding of rules enhances compliance to such rules. Our first program is therefore aimed at PREVENTING the occurrence of road traffic crashes through our Driver/Road User education program tailored towards reaching and positively affecting the minds and hearts of our audience, such that they come into the appreciation of the necessity to abide by all traffic rules and regulations. We will also relentlessly press on with our advocacy for the entrenchment of the rights of road crash victims to adequate compensation in our statute books.

Our second program is REMEDIAL. It is designed to provide immediate after-crash rescue/medical and financial support to crash victims.

Medical/occupational REHABILITATION of victims is our third program. We also provide legal, educational, psychological and financial support to victims and their families, as they progress towards full recovery.

Chike Nwaka
President/CEO
Road Crash Victims Foundation