Study says cellphone-related crashes on the increase

As Nigerians prepares to travel to different destinations during the Christmas and New Year period, recent study have once again revealed that distractions while driving are one of the central causes of accidents on the road, and it is getting worse with the increased use of smartphones and other electronic devices in the car.

A real-world study confirmed that dialling, texting, or even reaching for a cell phone while behind the wheel raises the risk of crashing, especially for younger drivers. Road traffic accidents are a significant cause of injury and death in Nigeria.

The yearly statistics on road accidents are frightening. In fact it is feared that accident related cases is only second to death from malaria attack every year.

A report from WHO adjudged Nigeria the most dangerous country in Africa with 33.7 deaths per 100,000 population every year. According to the report, one in every four road accident deaths in Africa occurs in Nigeria.

A conclusion drawn by Nigeria watch stated that next to Boko Haram insurgency, road accident is the second highest source of violent death in Nigeria. Despite the absence of reliable statistics on the level of carnage on Nigerian roads, the reality is grim.

According to the FRSC, over three per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are lost annually to road traffic accidents. The use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving is a familiar sight across the country.

In 2014 alone, Nigeria lost an equivalent of $10billion, to road traffic crashes. From 1960 the third quarter of 2015, the country recorded 344,367 road accident-related deaths with most of the dead being within the productive age, and most of the crashes linked to using mobile phones while driving.

Use of mobile phones affects the ability of the driver to concentrate and anticipate the road ahead, thereby putting the driver and other road users at risk. It is illegal in many countries including Nigeria to use mobile phone whilst driving but few are usually prosecuted in the country for dangerous or careless driving.

The safest approach on wheels is to switch off the phone, alternatively, drivers can use voicemail or message service to access missed calls when they to stop or at the end of your journey