I comply with the 80 kph speed limit on the Third Mainland Bridge (TMB or the Bridge). The fact is that I really don’t see an alternative to compliance. My past experience on the TMB has been that, like me, a couple of motorists obeyed the speed limit. Yesterday was, however, different. Every vehicle on the Adeniji-Adele bound lane overtook me, even the bus drivers with their rickety buses! I checked my speedometer intermittently to be sure I was on the right speed.

The first time I saw the 80 kph speed limit on the TMB after it was officially opened, following its comprehensive rehabilitation, I thought, “This is ridiculous! 100 kph will be more like it.” A few times I used the Bridge thereafter, I actually felt I was crawling. However, when I started seeing reports of accidents (some with fatalities) on the Bridge shortly after the opening, I saw the wisdom in the 80 kph speed limit stipulated by the government.

My experience yesterday morning got me thinking about an aspect of human behaviour: the short-term orientation of an average human being. Most of us are simply incapable of factoring the long-term implications of our intended action(s) into our decision-making matrix and allow it to influence our choice of action.

It’s on print and electronic media that speed cameras are on the TMB and erring motorists will be penalized for exceeding the 80 kph speed limit. So far, it is evident that nobody is paying attention. The reason for this is not farfetched. I attribute it to the ‘footnotes’ of the speed campaign, which is that those who disobey the stipulated speed limit will face the consequence when they show up to renew their vehicle licences. That’s the catch! A penalty to be paid sometime in the future doesn’t reckon with us. The Bible actually says, “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong” (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬).

One thing erring motorists on the TMB must note is that LASG means business. The government has only said penalties will be applied, it has not stated the amount. I would not be surprised if the levy is variable depending on the type of car in violation of the speed limit. For instance, I don’t expect a ‘Danfo’ bus owner to pay the same fine as a Range Rover owner. I foresee a ‘progressive fine’ arrangement.

Whatever punitive fine LASG comes up with should not be debated because it is imperative the recklessness on our roads is stemmed, one way or the other. In any case, we would be ‘killing two birds with one stone.’ That is, a heavy fine will hopefully reduce the carnage on the TMB and also be a veritable revenue generating avenue for the government.