Another Child Must Not Die

ROAD SAFETY ARTICLE

Some years ago, one of the media platforms alerted me to a road traffic crash in faraway Australia which claimed the life of two boys, both aged 8 years old. According to a report, the 52-year old woman behind the crash was immediately charged with negligent driving causing death after her 4WD crashed into a southwest Sydney primary school, killing two young boys.

The relevant authorities believed that she may have been distracted by something inside her Toyota Kluger before it broke through the weatherboard walls of the demountable classroom at Banksia Road Primary School in Greenacre on the fateful day. The report further said, the boys; both aged eight, suffered cardiac arrest and died in the hospital.

It also said that there were 24 children aged between seven and 11 in the year three classroom at the time. The driver, identified as Maha Al-Shennag, like I said earlier was charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, driving in a dangerous manner and negligent driving although she was granted conditional bail before the hearing at Bankstown Local Court. It was understood that the police alleged the driver was “distracted by something in her car” before losing control.

When she appeared for her hearing at the Parramatta District Court, Judge Stephen Hanley handed Ms Al-Shennag, an aggregate sentence of three years imprisonment served in the community for three counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one of causing grievous bodily harm. Interestingly, the persecution was not bugged by any sentiment. The law book pronounced punishment for infractions committed with calls from interested parties.

The tragedy brought back flashes of the plight of a human rights lawyer and a friend. According to a report by another friend, he was among a long list of who is who among celebrities whose trade and passion caught the attention of the management of the Federal Road Safety Corps. The Corps inducted the   new set of Celebrity Special Marshals to drive home advocacies and awareness campaigns aimed at inculcating safety awareness as a plank to drive the Corps’ specific intervention strategies meant to reduce the road traffic crash trend in our land.

Top on the list was veteran actor Olu Jacobs, veteran Nigerian Musician, Zaaky Azzay and Hafeez Ayetoro, better known as Saka, aka Mr, switch brand loyalty among other top celebrities. Although I missed the colourful annual lecture which provided the plank for their inauguration, I must confess that the red carpets and African drums that beat to welcome them on board the team to crash the crash was for me lost in comparison to a statement from our good friend. For those who keep in touch with my attempt to write through this platform, our friend whose identity I have chosen to conceal, was the father of a 7-year old boy and only child who died in a car crash which occurred a few years ago.

When that tragedy occurred, my dear friend and brother refused to allow the dark clouds of his son’s death to hold him prisoner. Rather than mourn forever, he took the footprints of the likes of Rachel Sobel of Safe Travel International to stand up against the monster and tragedy called road traffic crash. The statement he released shortly after the induction was so touching that I have chosen to share without his permission, hoping that any other hurting parent or guardian will stand up to be counted in this fight that respects none.

Here is what he said; I salute the Corps Marshal …and all in this noble platform for the privilege given in inducting my humble self into this elite group. I see my involvement as a challenge and a call to service. It will also help in channeling my grief for my late son into something worthwhile in my continuous service to humanity.

I lost haplessly… my lovely son in a ghastly motor accident. This regrettable occurrence eyewitnesses and experts account said the unfortunate death could have been averted where there is full compliance with regulations with regards to usage of seat belt and child safety belt.

“Though, my son lived a short but vibrant, good and promising life, and his demise too leaves a sore scar on me, as the ultimate victim, I have decided on the strength of the lessons learned from the foregoing, to rise above the irreversible occurrence and instead, choose to save other innocent Nigerian children from similar fate by instituting a foundation with permanent endowment funds solely from my personal resources, he continued.

My dear friend said his focus was to ensure that all relevant agencies particularly the Federal Road Safety Corps commences; full enforcement of the provisions of the law starting with full usage of all seatbelt and child safety seat in a vehicle, immediate comprehensive and robust citizen engagement and sensitization drive with adequate driver education systems nationwide as well ensure adequate driver education systems such as specific trainings before driving licenses can be acquired.

The focus was to ensure advertisement and campaigns be embarked upon by all stakeholders, mandate the conduct of specific extra education for traffic offenders and collection of traffic fines for all vehicle occupants who fail to use a seatbelt, commence programmes for public education campaigns in order to increase seatbelt and child safety seat wearing rates, and thus reducing injuries and fatalities

In the Australian crash, two eight-year-old girls were also taken to the hospital in a stable condition   while a nine-year-old girl was hospitalised in a serious condition. The driver, ironically, was uninjured at the scene but was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests, by the Police. I have taken the pain to narrate bits from these two crashes which claimed the life of a 7-year old Nigerian only child and two 8years old boys in faraway Australia. As painful as these crashes and deaths are, the brave example of my dear friend is worth emulating.