As Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Investigates Prof Festus Iyayi's Death

So much has been written in the media about possible causes of recent fatal road traffic crash that involved the convoy of Kogi state governor. Prof Iyayi of the University of Benin was a known figure among the casualties. The state of Nigerian roads and human factors, which play major role in the incessant road crashes that have claimed more lives than natural diseases, was a subject of this blog under Traffic Medicine (http://uwomeze.blogspot.com/2013/04/traffic-medicine-1-managing-carnage-on.html and http://uwomeze.blogspot.com/2013/04/traffic-medicine-2-behavioural-factors.html). Since the death of Prof Iyayi and others in the crash, more Nigerians continue to die daily from needless and preventable crashes that hardly attract the attention of the media but those who work in hospitals can attest to the number of the dead and dying brought into the Accident and Emergency Departments on their way to the mortuary. It is a sorry sight to see the human waste on Nigerian roads especially involving the young and we appear helpless about stemming the tide.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) saddled with the responsibility of ensuring safe driving and accident prevention has openly declared their plan to investigate this latest crash involving the convoy of a state governor and a high profile university lecturer. Many have questioned the ability and credibility of the FRSC in recent times as the agency appears to be distracted from its main mandate of ensuring safe road for Nigerians and have embarked on many other ventures a lot of people feel are indicative of some loss of focus.

However, it may be important to point out a few things as FRSC undertakes this investigation:

1. Deaths in road traffic crashes are apparently unnatural and violent deaths, and fall within the cases investigated by the Coroner who presides over the jurisdiction of such incidents. It is therefore hoped the FRSC is working with the Coroner in the affected jurisdiction as road traffic crashes are medico-legal (forensic) cases. 
2. Environmental and human factors are valid considerations in such investigation. While much has been written about death traps called roads on our major highways, the public may not have paid enough attention to the human factors involved in causation of road traffic crashes in Nigeria. 
3. A good scene reconstruction will be critical to understanding this crash. It is expected that positions of the vehicles involved and the casualties would have been marked by the relevant authorities. It is therefore important that issues are based on evidence. There is a tendency to be carried away by sentiments and sensationalism usually expressed in some segment of the media. Such is not helpful in coming to some premise supported by evidence. Media "trial" and conclusions must be deemphasised if we are interested in 
4. seeking evidence based facts. 
5. Forensic autopsy should be conducted on all the dead victims. This is particularly vital to the investigation. It is important to exclude natural conditions or diseases that may have influenced the situation. Toxicology must be an essential ancillary to the autopsy to unravel any role some drugs or alcohol may have played in the crash. That a good number of drivers do abuse drugs or alcohol in Nigeria and drive under the influence is a known fact to the FRSC. It is therefore imperative that toxicological analysis be carried out on relevant biological specimens. A question one is yet to get an answer to is the legal alcohol limit in Nigeria. What blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is considered the upper limit, by law, in Nigeria? The FRSC may want to address this question since it has touted the use of breath-analysers on drivers in Nigeria. The principle of use of breath-analysers connotes a need for confirmatory blood test at some reading. What BAC will officials of FRSC be keeping an eye on Nigerian roads? 
6. Coroner's Inquest: A proper Coroner's Inquest should be conveyed by the appropriate authority, and all the pieces of information from the various investigations and witnesses are examined by the Coroner in a public forum. FRSC will be one of the government agencies to present their findings and at the end of the proceedings, a Coroner's determination will be made and verdict entered.

Like relations of deceased often wonder what value investigating the death of their loved ones will bring to them since the dead cannot possibly be called back to life. I usually respond that it does justice to the dead to be able to understand how death came about and to speak to their unique circumstance; it also enables loved ones, families and affected communities to come to closure and move forward; and it protects individual and public health as lessons from a particular death could potentially save others from a similar situation. Furthermore, it is a strong statement to the society that we place high premium on the life of every individual and there must be accountability and justice in the event of any loss of lives.