most of us drive cars although not up to 30% of our road users have ever had an accident before and not up to 5% of that number have ever had & escaped a fatal car crash.

Let us use our personal experiences to warn/teach other road users of some 'out of the box' dangers of driving in Nigeria.

Some common causes of accidents that we are aware of are

lack of proper car maintainance
bad roads
the habits of other drivers on the road
& lack of auto education or 'luck'

let me use my case as a study. I have previously been involved in 2 different auto accidents. Both were caused by ' BRAKE FAILURE' (check improper car maintainance above) and the first of those my ordeals involved me but was not CAUSED by me, so i would not talk about that specific one.

The second one was all my fault, so i will use that as my own case scenario.

My dad always took his 504 car to work everyday and one day just decided to switch to our second car,a BMW one early wednesday morning. I immediately pounced on the 504 and took it out for a ride once my dad had gone out for the day.

Back then i was rather immature and the only stuff i knew to check in the engine of a car was its radiator water level. I took off with the car and picked up a few friends to join me on the way.

As we neared an intersection, i noticed that i had to step on my brakes twice before it worked. I just ignored this crucial warning and thought that it was a jinx of some sort and we continued on our way.

that was where i made the mistake, i went to the place and chilled with my pals. I wanted to return home and was going alone when it happened.

I was approaching a hold up at around 50 - 60kmph. All the cars around me were slowing down, i then applied my brakes, once . . . Twice . . . Three times . . . I even did it Repeatedly but Nothing. I was literally flying into the hold up. In summary i TOTALLED that car and almost lost my life if not for the seat belt i had on.

That day my brakes acted up just once before it failed me. I later got to learn that my dad observed the same , hence his reason for leaving it that day.

MANY DRIVERS ON OUR ROADS ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING SUCH PROBLEMS. THEY ARE FACELESS, BOTH FRIENDS AND STRANGERS ALIKE. SO LET US BE CAREFULL BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE HAVE CAR PROBLEMS AND MANAGE THEIR CARS WITHOUT WANTING TO DO ANY THING ABOUT IT.

I ALSO GOT TO KNOW THAT MY DAD MANAGED THAT CAR WITHOUT BRAKES FOR A WEEK, SADLY A WEEK IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG FOR MOST DIVERS ON NIGERIAN ROADS TODAY. SOME PEOPLE TAKE MORE THAN A MONTH TO FIX ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLES BRAKES AND THIS IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS ON OUR ROADS.

please if you are among the few that do this, try to park that car first and find time/money to repair it.TODAY.

Also i want to ask this question. HOW CAN ONE STOP A VEHICLE, MOVING AT AROUND 50 - 60KMPH, UNDER 10 SECONDS, WITHOUT USING ANY BRAKES?

Any contributions?

google is ur friend....

google cant giv me what i want. i need someone with experience to tell me how to do it. any information i get here from a seasoned driver can save my life in the future so i dare not joke with it.

Use the emergency brake (handbrake). That's what it's meant for. Though your car manual should tell you its limits.
Some people also say you should turn off the ignition while leaving the car in gear (manual tranny). I don't know about automatic though. Google will help if you really need expert advice.

lukkie: Use the emergency brake (handbrake). That's what it's meant for. Though your car manual should tell you its limits.
Some people also say you should turn off the ignition while leaving the car in gear (manual tranny). I don't know about automatic though. Google will help if you really need expert advice.

thanx for that. yeah the handbrake should work fine only that there is a certain speed at which it would be considered suicidal.

i also heard about switching off the ignition of the car(manual transmission) from someone but i also need to know if i must TAKE MY FOOT ENTIRELY OFF THE CLUTCH WHILE/AFTER I SWITCH OFF THE ENGINE for this style to work? also would'nt this cause the car to lose balance and control while it is being done? because the tires will lock up and the speed of the vehicle can turn the car into a cannon ball once it goes bad

Talking about near-death experience, back in 2003, I was driving a Benz 190 to the island on third mainland bridge. Exactly at the Adekunle exit, out of nowhere this Toyota Tercel hatchback swerved into me. I was only lucky that I wasn't speeding. My front passenger side hit his rear driver side and the 2 cars spun. I was now facing the mainland. The engine was still running but it was very scary.

I was also lucky that being a Sunday morning there was not much traffic. That accident made me respect Benz cars especially the 190. The crash destroyed the back of the Toyota but there wasn't more than a small dent on the bumper of the Benz.

haa .. im sure that experience has made its impact on your driving since then.

did you observe what made the toyota slam into you? was it a pothole or traffic?

abi was he trying to kill fly?

I could only conclude that the guy was drunk because it was totally uncalled for. I was in the inside lane close to the barrier while he was coming from Adekunle and on the outside lane.

There were about 3 of them in the car and i suspected they were coming from a party. One other thing I learnt is that accidents happen so fast that you hardly remember what happened. The only thing I remember was the car spinning.

lilkech:

thanx for that. yeah the handbrake should work fine only that there is a certain speed at which it would be considered suicidal.

i also heard about switching off the ignition of the car(manual transmission) from someone but i also need to know if i must TAKE MY FOOT ENTIRELY OFF THE CLUTCH WHILE/AFTER I SWITCH OFF THE ENGINE for this style to work? also would'nt this cause the car to lose balance and control while it is being done? because the tires will lock up and the speed of the vehicle can turn the car into a cannon ball once it goes bad

You don't need to switch off ignition when you have a brake failure while in motion. If you are not an expert in doing that, it would lock the steering wheel. You should know the rest. With manual transmission, you shouldnt have any issue stopping the car, when it has brake failure while in motion. Its called "engine brake" which manual tranny offers and auto transmission lacks. In fact, i hardly touch my brake pedal while in motion. The engine brake does that function for me. All you need to do is to master the distance or gap you give vehicles before you and let the manual transmission brake your car for you, even driving in the cities. Thats advantage manual tranny has over auto trans, if you know the pros of manual tranny and make full use of them. Can't remember the last time i replaced my brake pads.

I have had so many near death experiences, both in the cities and on highways. The experiences shaped in choosing my present car(s). They said experience is the best teacher. In this case, if you are lucky to survive, no one will tell you again what caused it. In my case, some deadly ones were averted because of the design of the vehicles. Survival on our highways is choice. If you choose to live everytime you hit Nigerian highway, then you will have to choose which vehicle that will do that job well for you. "Onye chukwu n'azo, n'azo onwe ya", if you understand what that means.

A lot of people would blame accidents on highways as been caused by overspeeding. I would hiss each time i read or hear such comment. Thats what people who dont understand long distance driving world. Ever experienced fatigue on the steering? Of course you wont know if you hare not a constant long distance driving fellow. The truth is: the longer you stay on the wheel on long distance driving, the more fatigue sets in. The result is sleeping off on the wheel, without even knowing what just happened. Anything can happen in that seconds your eyes closed and opened. In the white mans world, they set out on a long journey, not to get to the destination that same day. They brake the journeys in hotels/Inn, till they reach their destination, even if it takes them 2 or 3 days. How many of us can afford to do so in Nigeria, considering the hard cost of living here?

Will continue in a short while.

Ikenna.

Am back.

Some would argue, "why not park by the side of the road immediately one start feeling sleepy?". Of course, that is the safest thing to do in such situation. But that can only be safe when you get to a safe place or arrive a town. On Nigerian highways, you do not want to stop and park your car in no-mans-land; in the middle of nowhere. You may end up completing your journey via good Samaritan vehicle or public transport, if they spare your life. Everyone that drives on long distance on our "Robbery-free smooth road" has a target; to get to a particular town before so so time. If you are driving to Abuja from East, you do not want to reach Gwagwalada by 3pm. It will be better for the person to stop at Lokoja and relax till late in the evening, before continuing his/her journey to Abuja, if he or she knows that he cant make it to Gwagwalada by 2pm or before then. The worst thing that will happen to a vehicle that have ran a long distance of about 8 hrs and end up at Gwagwalada traffic jam, which can last upto or more than 2 hrs. If your cooling system isnt that wonderful, you kiss your cylinder head goodbye.ie. you complete the journey with towing van into the Abuja city. My point here is, 110 - 120km/h is not too much for long distance motoring/trip in Nigeria. If you you decide to limit it to 80km/h or below, good luck with that. After all, experience is the best teacher, they would say. It has happened to me and am lucky to have survived and live to correct my mistake. you maynot be that lucky. But you also need to know that even on that your low speed, you can be pushed off the road by another vehicle. What really prevent accident is how good you are behind the wheel. Thats where experience comes in. An inexperienced driver on a highway is a killer, at that moment he or she isbehind the wheel. This is not some city driving we are talking about. Long distance highway driving is not for the faint-hearted; its not for those who sees top speed as a game or race; its not for those who cant control the speed they do; its not for teenagers; and finally, its a serious driving business!

The best transmission that fights fatique on a long distance driving on long distance trip is manual transmission. I drove to East sometime last year to sort issues out, for only 3 days. The second day, i was so busy to conclude the matters that became so weak at the end of the day, ye i had to travel back to Abuja the next day to resume work. I drove off around 6:30am the next morning from Enugu, heading to Abuja. About an hour after I drove past Obollo Afor, I started to fell weak (fatigue), yet I still have about 7 hrs hot top speed to drive before i get to Abuja. Now I needed to get to Lokoja before 12pm, to avert the Gwagwalada traffic jam nightmare. What saved me that day was the manual transmission of the V6 car. Every part of my body was active; my two legs for clutch and accelerator), my two hands (for steering wheel and gear stick), my entire body (shifting on the seat as i shift forward and backward to shift the gear stick up and down).I was completely alert, since every part of my body was doing sometime behind the wheel.. I arrived Lokoja before 12pm and realised i didnt need anymore to stop and rest, since sleepnesss had seized to disturb me on the wheel. I fired on, without even stopping to eat. Since then, i have been wondering what could have happened if my car was an auto transmission, where only my right leg and left hand will be at work? Its more or less a dummy behind the wheel. Of course, I would have turned and returned back to Enugu and face query at office for not reporting to work or something more serious than that. The truth is that I would have slept off on the wheel without even knowing when it would happen, if it was auto trans. A lesson I will live not to forget.

I know i have derailed a bit from the thread with my analysis, but i needed to point out other things that usually cause the near death experience on our highways, aside uncontrollable speed, if you survive to tell. You can hate my posts, but i have done my bit for those who are yet to experience it. Its a choice you need to make for yourself: to experience it or prevent from happening. Its your call.


Ikenna.

@Ikenna

I like your insights. They make a lot of sense. Traveling on Nigerian roads is truly hell. Like you said, if you've been in an accident, it'll always determine the type of cars you buy. When i see people by those "paper foil" cars, i only SMH.

yeah. and i agree with you on the fact that driving a car with auto transmission is a very delicate affair. i believe that it is a major cause of reckless accidents on our highways.

For long-distance driving, manual is the best. But i won't drive that in inner-city stop-and-go traffic. Lai-lai!

I experienced one which till date i remain highly grateful to God Almighty for sparing my life.

It happened along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway,i was going to visit my then fiancee now my wife ( thank God ). I often hear people say driving in the city is different from driving on long journey highways,it is true. A simple car maneuver control nearly cost me my life and two friends,i am going to try to put this in words for readers to easily understand. In Lagos,if i am driving at a speed of say 70-80 and i see a reason to apply my brake maybe due to a car that suddenly came out of a street ahead etc,i will just apply my brake sligihtly and swerve to the next lane ( of course i use my side mirror to make sure there is no car coming in the next lane behind me )..easy and sweet right ?. Well,little did i know that it was a total different ball game when you are speeding at say 130 and yes let me add here that the car i was driving at that time was a Volks Jetta 2000 ( the Bora type ). So i was driving at 130-140 ( heck all i know was that the car was flying ). Ok ok ok to tell you readers the truth i was chasing this i-vtec guy..See i noticed that even at high speed,the guy driving the i-vtec was cruising. It was like a scene out of the Talladega Nights movie,you remember the way Sacha sips his coffee while Ricky was sweating to even get close to him ? Yes that was just it gan gannn. The i-vtec was fast and steady but i was struggling to keep my German machine steady at such high speed ( i guess this is lack of experience sha cause German autos are meant to be more balanced than Japanese cars at high speed,na so i hear ). So suddenly this pick up just came out from no where - omo its true what the other poster said,when accident happens you might not remember exactly how it all happened in full detail. I just know the trailer came out of no where and i felt the brake,swerve to the next lane maneuver will handle it. Alas i was WRONG ! I hit my brake and the next thing i heard was my tire screeching. My car swerved to the far left uncontrollably,i tried hard to compensate by turning the steering to the right immediately to gain balance but na so the car begin do unplanned and unnecessary donut 360. Chei !!! My car was turning..no spinning was more like it and i remember my friend on the right side shouting my nameeeee with his right leg raised up in fear ( the shoe he was wearing tore and was unwearable afterwards ). In the moment,i remember this voice saying something like "is this how you are going to die ? is this a movie ? " So my car turned to face incoming traffic but luckily for me,i already drove pass all cars since we ( my car and the i-vtec ) were going at very high speed. It was a sloppy road,so my car began to reverse to the sidewalk and i parked. The drivers of the cars coming must have been wondering,how did this guy turn so fast lol. I remember coming down,visibly shaking with tears yes TEARS running down my cheek but i did not intend to cry ..well maybe i did but i know the tears ran down freely. See in Lagos,when someone drives rubbish in front of you ; one is quick to park in front of the person and run down to confront the person. The reverse was the case,i could not even go near the truck. It was a total total total "so pe tie" ( give thanks for your own ) moment,i was being grateful to God while i rested on my car boot. The passenger of the pick up came down and he was speaking Hausa...but following his hand signal and the name Allah,i knew what he was saying to me and my friends was let us thank God Almighty. The driver of the pick up was not allowed to come to us instantly because i think his passenger was afraid i and my friends will attack the driver ( little did he know i was humble ). Nothing major happened to my car,saw signs of leaked oil..cluth and rubber smell filled the air but apart from that,the car was good to go. I really thank God Almighty till date o and i yes let me add that i try not to do the brake and swerve trick any more. If there is a reason to brake,i do afterall that is what the brake is meant for. I apply brake,exercise patience and switch to the next lane when it is free and safe to.

@cyprian mehn that was some ish right there, you were indeed lucky.

once i was on a highway and there was an 'agofure' toyota hiace bus moving in front of me. we were passing by a corner sourrounded by thick bush and this bush meat ran out in front of us from the right (trying to cross the road)

the driver of the hiace bus also saw it and tried to kill it with his tyres, he made a 'brake & swerve' motion (i can tell because i noticed his brake lights come on for an instant) at almost 90kmph and his front passenger tyre exploded.

the bus didn't do much acrobatics oh, it just fell on its passenger side and then began to slide (spewing sparks & flesh) till it stopped

everybody in that bus that was sitting at windows on the passenger side died instantly while others sustained injuries. from almost a 100 yards away where the accident began those unfortunate passengers that sat at the windows hands, chests e.t.c were being covered with banana leaves. the ground scrapped them clean off their bodies while the bus was sliding on its side after the tyre burst.

all in all i was not involved in the accident, but i just wanted to point out what 'brake & swerve' can cause. if only that agofure driver decided to visit a restaurant to eat bushmeat that accident might not have occured . . . or maybe his tyre was worn out or over pressured. we can never know.

@conner44 What a touching story,so sad.

Na wah. Some drivers still use that high speed brake and swerve stunt to kill crossing snakes too.

Mine was around midnight Xmas eve/Xmas day 1999 or 2000 on falomo Bridge, We were driving in 2 cars from Ikoyi headed to lekki ph 1 to meet up with friends from "Obodo Oyibo".To cut the matter short, My friend and I somersaulted and flipped in one car like 3 times and landed on the side in the middle of falomo bridge, the other car in front was also upside down and 2 girls had passed out inside with major injuries.Horrible day, Spent half of the day in the hospital with girls and the other half at Bar Beach police station writing statement and getting extorted. I also had to lie to my parents that I was preparing for one 100 level exam that was cancelled and rescheduled for Jan 2nd or so. (shame on me).Good thing was that I told my friend to wear his seatbelts as we left ikoyi even though FRSC and LASTMA had no seatbelts enforcement then