Kassahun Melese, a Taxi driver in Addis Ababa, recalls what he had faced just last year at the eve of Easter. “I was driving under the influence of alcohol in the midnight taking his passengers towards their home. Suddenly, a traffic police gave me an order to stop my car, and asked me to get out of the car to check whether I was drunk or not. With the help of alcohol breath analyzer, the traffic police then found out that I was over intoxicated by alcohol.”
The traffic police told me that I must not drive the car for the wellbeing of my life and the passengers as well In the next morning, Kassahun found out himself in the police station. “Even I could not remember anything until one of the police officers told me about the night’s situation.” “Thanks to the new technology – alcohol testing device – and the commitment of the appointed traffic police for saving the lives of mine and my passengers from horrible road traffic accident (RTA) which would also be regret forever if there was physical and property damages.” Since that time, Kassahun advises his friends to stop drinkdriving to save the lives of many.
The passengers and the pedestrians should be aware of drunk-drivers particularly in the time of holidays “I confined myself not to celebrate holidays with my parents; rather it might be changed to bad consequence.” Indeed, road transportation has a direct link with the day-today activities of people, especially in large cities where the distance is easily unreachable on foot or on bicycle. However, the increase in road transportation has placed a considerable burden on the people’s lives. The terrific road traffic deaths and injuries is the major one.
Nowadays, the victims of road traffic accidents are youths and children who are the pillars and the bases for growth and development of the country. In addition, the accident has also social, economic, psychological and political impacts on the society and the country. As a result, corrective measures and solutions which are being carried out by the government should persistently continue. Speaking for The Ethiopian Herald, Yohannes Lemma, Road Transport Safety and Awareness Director at The Federal Transport Authority says the authority is working in collaboration with different stakes in order to achieve the expected result in reducing RTA in Ethiopia. He said that the authority is chiefly working with the Ministry of Health as it is taking life of individuals more than other diseases.
Both the authority and the ministry have agreed to increase number of trauma centers for the injured people coupled with providing quick and quality service to save life. As to him, the agreement made with the Ministry of Health includes to incorporate road safety issues on its health packages aimed at giving first aid training for drivers, traffic polices, volunteer traffic coordinators and any other concerned individuals and groups for better achievement and to eradicate and prevent RTA across the country.
By the same token, Yohannes said that most part of the society would like to visit their family from their working place. At this time, some of them prefer to travel at night time with over speed. Therefore, they have to stop such activities. If the accident is happened, it is the life time gloomy for parents as it is happened at the holiday. Similarly, he suggested that drunk drivers have to stop driving to save the life of a human being. Speaking for The Ethiopian Herald, road safety experts remarked that the implementation on the new method of testing alcohol and radar speed controlling mechanism are playing a great role in reducing the accident. In spite of the fact that most drivers are highly sensitive for the rules and regulation, the responsible organ for taking measures on such faults and law violence should take serious actions. Apart from these, accessing opposite street especially on the highest traffic confession areas, and car wheels locking which are on illegal parking areas are also some of the substantial actions taking by the Federal Transport Authority in collaboration with the Federal police commission and Traffic police for dropping the accident, they stated.
The experts agreed that removal of stray animals like cattle and removal of encroachments on footpath and road margins will enable smooth flow of traffic coupled with preventing haphazard parking of vehicles on busy roads and intersections to ensure free flow of traffic. Besides, provision of ambulances and trained health personnel in shifting and transporting the injured person to nearby hospitals for treatment, improving vehicular visibility and enforcing blood alcohol limits are another opportunities to improve road safety.
In addition, it is better to constructing and repairing collapsed and old bridges and awareness creation among all sections of the society to treat accident victims with sympathy and without fear in order to reduce morbidity and mortality on RTA, they added. Likewise, experts transfer their deepest suggestion for the society and specially drivers to watch their step in protecting their life, body and property from the road accident. Specifically Christians should give high attention for the accident while they are celebrating Easter. Both drivers and the whole societies should keep themselves from drinking much alcohol and other drunk drivers. All in all, the Director and the experts agreed that while celebrate holidays, they should give high attention for preventing the road accident before it happens.
The Ethiopian Herald April 27/2019
BY HIZKEL HAILU
