Before this time, motorcycle accident victims were major causalities in most hospitals in Abuja. But today, this is no longer the same. Reports from hospitals across Abuja indicate that pedestrians who are knocked down by moving vehicles while trying to cross major roads in the territory are on the increase. A source at Asokoro General Hospital told this magazine that between January and December 2011, 289 victims of such cases were recorded as brought in dead, BID. Out of this number, 130 were male and 159 female. In January, 14 of such cases were recorded. The figure increased to 18 in February and 26 in April. Incidentally, most of the victims were female.     
Investigations by this magazine showed no provision was made for pedestrian bridges in major road contracts in the Federal Capital Territory before 2008. Even though there are dual carriage ways such as the Nyanyan/Keffi expressway, the Mabushi/National Mosque expressway, the Nnamdi Azikiwe expressway leading to Area 1 among others but the authorities did not consider it desirable to include the construction of overhead bridges for any of these highways. It was only recently that the contractual agreement included pedestrian bridges such as the Nyanya/Keffi road and the Kubwa/Zuba and Airport road projects. 
Of recent, the NICON/Banex Junction has witnessed many incidents of ‘hit and run drivers’ where commuters were either killed or badly injured while trying to cross the road. There is also the Area 3 junction and the Nnamdi Azikiwe expressway. Ademola Adeniran, a taxi driver who plies the area told this magazine that he witnessed at least 10 cases of ‘hit and run’ last year alone. 
Even where there is a pedestrian bridge, enforcement is difficult. It is only at Mogadishu Cantonment, along Nyanyan/Keffi road, where soldiers ensure compliance with the regulations that people use the overhead bridge. Even at that, there is a need for another pedestrian bridge at Kugbo furniture market located on the outskirt of Abuja metropolis. Traders and patrons of the market are daily exposed to sever danger due to absence of a pedestrian bridge. This road attracts high volume of vehicular traffic. Benjamin Okafor, a furniture maker at the market said the absence of a footbridge has lead to vehicles killing many people and in some cases causing severe injuries to victims. Another furniture maker who simply identified himself as Francis lamented the high rate of fatalities on the way saying there was an urgent need for the relevant authorities to provide a pedestrian bridge on the highway.
For most residents of Nyanya, Mararaba and Masaka, satellite towns located along the highway, crossing the dual carriage road is a dangerous feat they have to contend with on a daily basis. Mrs. Mary Onuche, a civil servant and resident of Mararaba, told this Magazine that towards the end of last month she witnessed three persons knocked down by speeding vehicles while trying to cross the road, “one died while the other two where taken to an unknown hospital,” she recalled.
Ironically, in Nyanya where a pedestrian bridge was provided, nobody uses the bridge, as residents ignore it. And in Mararaba where such bridge was provided, traders and beggars find it an avenue to seek for their daily bread. This is contrary to the situation in Lagos State where men of Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, ensure strict compliance with the rules. This has brought down the number of casualties on Lagos highways. In a test conducted by Senior Citizens Welfare Advocacy, SCIWAD, a nongovernmental organisation on road signs, most respondents displayed total ignorance about road signs.
In Abuja metropolis most motorists have the habit of speeding because of the smooth road network, and often times flout road signs, which in some cases lead to car crash. It is worrisome to note that majority of the culprits are people in authority or their drivers. The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, had lamented this ugly trend.
It was to correct the anomaly that the engineering department of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, included the construction of pedestrian brides in the road projects along the outer northern express way, ONEW, and the Abuja International Airport. A source at the authority told this magazine that the FCDA is confronted with the challenge of creating tunnels for pedestrians along high risk roads but the task of keeping such infrastructure alight in the midst of inadequate power supply and security concerns is casting a shadow on the idea. Another way out of the menace many believe is the provision of adequate road signs and strict observance of road signs, especially zebra crossing which gives pedestrians right of way.
Even along pedestrian lane, motorists drive with horrendous speed in their bid to evade traffic jam. This is common along the pedestrian tracks on Sultan Abubakar Way, zone 3, Wuse. The story is not different in other parts of the city. There is a general feeling that men of the FRSC are not doing enough to stem the trend which has left pedestrians at the mercy of unruly motorists. Although the officials of Federal Road Safety Commisson, FRSC occasionally carryout some activities to make road users conform with best practices, Abuja motorists appear to be winning with their dangerous driving that is maiming and killing pedestrians. 
Experts say about 1.5 million people die in road accidents worldwide while Nigeria contributes an alarming percentage of the figure. Statistic from the FRSC indicates that over 17,000 persons died in about 3,100 road accidents across Nigeria which occurred between 2007 and 2009. In December 2010 alone the commission said 472 persons died in 500 road accidents in different parts of the country. Carnage on the country’s roads has shown that it is largely caused by factors including flagrant disregard for traffic regulations, illiteracy, alcoholism, over speeding amongst others.
 

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