Before The Rains Begin II

Do you know what NiMET stands for? As a driver or road user, this is one poser I expect you to answer without blinking. But if you do not know what NiMET means I truthfully would not blame you for several reasons. The first is that we are a religious country. Arising from our religious inclination, we believe and confess that we are blessed. To prove our confessions right, Heaven has been too gracious to our land and clime. It was therefore no wonder that when I did a bit of online research on natural disasters in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, Nigeria was rarely mentioned. This explains why a handful of us are not aware of what NiMET stands for. Since we don’t know and we boast of our special place in divine providence, we are unlike our brothers and sisters in other climes who must religiously follow daily guidance on possible disasters.

Now, let me tell you my findings show that in other climes, especially in the US in 2021, natural disaster happenings are almost a regular occurance. According to data, “damages from the 2021 disasters totaled approximately $145 billion. (All cost estimates are adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index, 2021). The costliest 2021 events were Hurricane Ida ($75 billion), the mid-February Winter Storm / Cold Wave ($24.0 billion), and the Western wildfires ($10.9 billion).” Further revelations from The International Charter whose aim is to  provide a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man-made disasters. The events captured by the Chart shows that there was tropical storm Megi in the Philippines in April 29, 2022, flooding and landslide in South Africa on April 28, 2022, flooding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 20, 2022, cyclone Gombe in Mozambique on March 14, 2022 and Cyclone Emnati in Madagascar on February 25,2022. There was also flash flooding in Brazil on 17 February, 2022, flooding in Ecuador on 2 February, 2022, tropical storm Ana in Mozambique in 26 January 2022, flooding in Madagascar on 25 January, 2022, flooding in Sao Tome and Precipe on 21 January,2022, as well as Wolf volcano eruption in Tonga, Wolf volcano eruption in Ecuador between 10- 24 January 22.

In all of these disasters, no mention was made of any disaster in Nigeria which if you ask me kind of  justifies our claim and belief that we are indeed blessed.

But while I acknowledge that we are a privileged and blessed  country, I must however plead that we remember that even the Holy Scriptures say wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor when you embrace her. It further says, let him that lacks wisdom ask…Today, I am urging drivers to become knowledgeable not just in the traffic regulations but to embrace the activities of NiMET especially within this season .Already the early warnings were visible in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja,Jos, Plateau State on 4 May, 2022. I am sure the story was not different in other parts of the country besides the ones mentioned here.

This is why as a driver,you must comply with the National Road Traffic Regulations with respect to the sections that dwell on self-regulations. With the avalanche of learners who daily flout road safety rules, the Regulations demand that an applicant for a driver’s license who must not be below 18 years must obtain a medical certificate of fitness as provided in Regulation 57(3) of the Regulations from any Government Hospital. So what exactly does this regulation mean by a medical certificate of fitness? As a layman, a medical fitness certificate is a document issued by a registered medical practitioner that attests that an individual is fit after a medical examination. Usually, medical fitness certificates are required for many purposes including driving which is my focus. During   the height of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it was a requirement to have a requirement through what was then known as ‘’Fit to fly’’ certificate. Strangely, because of the dread for COVID, nobody toyed with it unlike driving where applicants fake such documents without the necessary rigours of the test.

In other words, a medical fitness certificate states that the individual is in good health and able to carry out suggested activities or is able to work under the specified conditions. It is usually free from medical jargon and easily understandable. It contains the observations and any additional notes, such as limitations or restrictions on certain movements/ activities.

The same Regulations demand that all vehicles undergo checks as stipulated in 140(1-2). In sub section two, it states that the examination shall be conducted for new private vehicles every two years and when it has covered a mileage of 100,000 kilometres whichever comes first; for all other private vehicles beyond two years, once in a year, and in the case of commercial vehicles, omnibuses and trailers, every six months. This examination which most people evade determines whether the vehicle is roadworthy conforming to the prescribed requirements relating to construction, condition, accessories and other equipment. Most importantly it is to confirm that the vehicle is such that its use on the road will not pose a danger to any other road user or cause damages to the road or any road furniture.

I have heard people brag about their driving prowess even though they did not attend any approved driving school. For the old school drivers, I reserve my comments. For the new drivers, I urge them to take a second thought on their views as part of the training is the abc of defensive driving which globally stands out as your best and only arsenal in the event of a near miss or a possible death threatening road traffic crash. Your knowledge of defensive driving techniques be brought to bear for your safety and others. You must always slow down, keep a safe distance from the vehicle before you and always be prepared to stop within your range of vision and avoid possible blind spots. Your overall stopping distance is the distance your car travels from the moment you realize you must brake to the moment the vehicle stops. It is made up of thinking distance and braking distance. You must never get closer than the overall stopping distance. On wet roads, the gap should be much more. Stopping distance increases greatly with wet and slippery roads, poor brakes, bad tryes and tired drivers.

Since there is diminished visibility during bad weather, whilst driving, seeing and being seen is a must at such times. This is because 80 per cent of driving information comes from visibility. Visibility influences the reaction time. Although, motorist misbehavior and natural influences cannot be eliminated completely, safety is enhanced by creating visibility of obstacles especially when it’s raining. This is critical in the absence of adequate pavement markings that reflect. Without such signs to guide a driver who may not be familiar with the road on which he is driving, headlights must be used to aid visibility. No wonder the traffic regulations in  section 52(2) specifically  mandates that  the authority shall not issue a driver’s licence unless the applicant furnishes certificates of vision acuity test and general fitness from any government hospital in addition to first aid skill. This is reinforced in section 57(1,2) all commercial  driver’s licence holders shall undergo a minimum of cumulative nine hours of competence  training within a period of three years…In subsection 2, it lists visual acuity and colour blindness as part of the test to be conducted on a would be applicant for any. Others include ear defect, E.E.G  screening for epilepsy, chronic arthritis, blood sugar for diabetes, as well as blood pressure for assessment for hypertension.