Author: Sinead's Blog

  ROAD SAFETY

Road casualties, safe driving (driver’s handbook, health and safety measures).

The ever-increasing number of road accidents is a goal catastrophe. On the Tv, radio, and internet, we almost daily hear of an accident. The majority of people appear to disregard and underestimate the risk associated with them careless driving, resulting in these collisions.

Adam Kenneth, a surveyor of two fatal car accidents. Adam is in late thirties and has 18 years of driving experience. “driving is undoubtedly the riskiest behaviour any of us will ever indulge in. And if you try to drive responsibly and defensively, it’s always a safe thing to know what to do in the event of a crash. Accidents can be terrifying” Adam said. There are several options to prevent an automobile crash but if it arises, it is important to consider what to do and what questions the third party concerned (if involved) may need to answer in order to file an insurance claim.

The first fatal car accidents took 4 months for Adam to heal properly. But stayed in the hospital for 2 months. He wasn’t responsive to the treatment they gave him at first. Adam suffered from a broken jaw, broken clavicle, broken sternum, several broken vertebrae and contusions to his lungs and heart. He was not expected to have survived this terrible fatal car accident. As he was in coma for six days, nearly a week. He was very weak on the right side of his body and didn’t always communicate appropriately. As more treatment were given, he surprisingly had a fast progress of healing. But unfortunately for the other two victims that was part of the fatal accident passed away right on the spot. Car accidents may be minor, such as bicycle crash, or even more severe, such as a car accident. 

Deaths on Irish roads 2020.

In 2020, the number of people killed on Irish roads is expected to increase. The number of road deaths increased last year 2020. There were 148 deaths in 2018, equivalent to 140 in 2019. As of February 2 2021, this information is provisional and accurate. There were 137 fatal accidents on Irish roads between January and December 2020, resulting in 148 deaths compared to preliminary Garda statistics for the whole year of 2019, this reflects an improvement of eight traffic accidents and eight deaths.

149 people were killed in 138 deadly accidents on New Year’s Eve, rising to 140 fatalities in 129 fatal crashes the year prior. However, from 5,527 in 2019 to 4,120 in 2020, the number of accident crashes (both serious and minor) on Irish road has decreased by 25%. (https://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety/RSA-Statistics/Deaths-injuries-on-Irish-roads/ ).

Road traffic accidents are widely recognised as a growing concern to society, as they have the potential to affect multiple lives when they result in serious injury or death. The number of deadly and debilitating traffic accidents is rising every day, posing a serious public health problem for all organizations involved in this prevention. The application of available laws and regulations to deter road accidents is often inadequate and half-hearted. To avoid this public health disaster, public awareness must be raised, traffic laws must be strictly enforced, and scientific infrastructure step must be taken.

EU measures to reduce car accidents.

With an average of 49 traffic accidents per million people, EU roads are the deadliest in the world, compared to 174 deaths per million worldwide. Road deaths in the EU have dropped by more than half in the last two decades, but the latest estimate indicate that the rate of reduction is plateauing, indicating that more work is required to boost road safety and save lives. (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20190307STO30715/safer-roads-new-eu-measures-to-reduce-car-accidents).

Road traffic collisions can be caused by a variety of causes. The adverse weather, traffic conditions, human behaviour when driving, car condition, and the leniency of law enforcement are the main factors that contribute to road injuries. Another factor contributing to the high number of crashes on the roads is driver inattention. If careful care is paid and rules are enforced when during, there are likely to the fewer injuries. There may also be weather conditions, such as fog, that make visibility difficult and lead to accidents. There are a number of causes that can contribute to an accident, including road construction, driver injury, and car design, both of which can result in severe and unsafe forms of crashes. 

There are four causes that contribute to these kinds of car crashes. Accident due to equipment failure occurs when a piece of equipment inside the car fails, resulting in a serious accident. This may be of different forms, such as brake failure, tire bursting, tread separations, or a steering or suspension problem. Accidents caused by roadway design are those that arise as a result of the road’s erratic design. It could happen due to poor visibility, such as merging lanes, cattle or pedestrian crossings, crests and troughs and so on. The uneven road surface often contributes to the crash by causing automobile imbalance, which leads to collision with another vehicle or pedestrian. Poor road maintenance is also a factor in certain road accidents. Debris on the lane, which is the responsibility of the local highway department, could create difficulties for the driver, faded road signs and potholes could also be a cause of major road accidents.

Government Intervention.

Road accidents are on unprecedented pace, necessitating preventive steps by the government to improve education relevant to responsible driving practices in order to reduce the risk of an accident. The government will be adopting a variety of measures in order to reduce the number of incidents in the country. There should be the establishment of various organisations that will work to enforce road safety laws in any county in Ireland, which can help to reduce the number of injuries. 

Speed limits on different types of vehicle should be controlled by jurisdiction. There should be some kind of technical equipment in place to keep the pace under control. Individuals should take reasonable precautions, such as wearing seatbelts and getting their cars serviced on a regular basis, to reduce long term danger. To reduce the risk of a collision, the driver should be trained enough to recognize roadside signboards. Citizens and government departments should adhere to the road safety guidelines. “passengers should also be careful enough to know whether the driver is speeding or driving if inebriated or not”. This will aid safe driving and reduce the risk of road casultes/accidents. 

Starting a small business is a good way of making income. When starting a small business you have to have a unique business idea. While investing in your small business, it is important to know challenges will arise and it is up to you to have a thick skin to overcome those challenges. Be flexible with your time, have time for yourself to think about better ideas needed for your little business, don’t over work or stress yourself if things aren’t working as you want them to be. you have to have in mind you’re an entrepreneur that wants to grow your businesses into something bigger. Hope for the best!

DO YOUR RESEARCH .

When starting a small business , research is a very important step to take . you are creating a business to make profit , so you have to have in mind the basics of what people will want to expect from your product you are advertising. you have to ask yourself these questions; Who needs it, Is there a similar product, are there competitions from other entrepreneurs or companies, How much will I gain if I put in this effort, will this help in the future and How will my business fit into the market. These are questions you need to ask yourself.

PLAN YOUR FUNDS.

starting a business requires money. it is very important you plan your funds , depending on how little or more you want it to be. Make a diagram which should include marketing and advertising, travel expenses, supplies, if you are going to get a loan to start up , these things listed above are important.

GET FEEDBACK.

Get feedback from family, friends, colleagues at work, people that are doing the same business you’re doing. ask them what they think, they could help bring up more ideas for your business.

MAKE IT OFFICAL.

when you’re done getting good feedbacks, you make your business official by getting a name for your business, all the good things to advertise your product well. when you’re making so much profit, don’t forget to do discounts, put your items on sale , this will attract more people to want to buy your product.

Personal development improves self identity, creates a full potential to find a reason to step forward in life, helps to know your strengths and weaknesses. Little things can help self improvement. such as;

Doing what you love doing best like your hobbies.

Learning new skills

Meditation

Reading a book

Going out on vacations with family and friends

Taking up a new vocational training

picking up a new hobby

Having a passion to grow. this will uplift your spirit Into becoming a better person and reminding yourself who you are.

In Nigeria, there are different means of transportation, 80% of transportation are conveyed on road. Nigeria offers a wide range of transportation. But since 80% of transportation are conveyed on road, it brings about traffic congestion causing traffic jams. Although there are bus lanes called the BRT(basic road transport). below is a picture of the BRT bus.

Approximately 50 to 60 people can fit in the bus. It’s a fully air conditioned bus . The second road transport is the yellow tricycle. Picture below;

This is one the fastest mean of road transport in Nigeria, which can take three passengers and a driver in the front sit. it is less expensive than the BRT (basic road transport) buses. And passengers to their destination faster.

The third road transport is motorbikes, the fastest and most dangerous means of transportation in Nigeria. here is a picture below;

It is the most dangerous means of transport because some passengers do not wear helmet and the speed on the motor bikes is so fast that requires an helmet. Some Nigerians are so impatient so they just forget the risk of not wearing a helmet and going beyond the speed limit. Another means of transport are the yellow buses, also called (Danfo) that is what Nigerians call them, these buses are much smaller than the BRT buses. here is a picture below;

These buses can take approximately 20 people, less expensive than the BRT buses. there are a lot of yellow buses in Nigeria. Another means of transport are the Molue ( long yellow buses).

This remains the most affordable means of transportation for millions in Lagos, Nigeria. Love by many because it’s very pocket friendly and goes long distances even though it moves quite as slow as a snail. The molue buses are has impacted the city , a culture and legacy that is evident in the nation’s pop-culture. Here is a picture below;

They are very scanty on Lagos roads, very old and worn out buses.

There are also private road transport. like; GIGM (God is good motors) that travel very long distances , for example; traveling from the western part of Nigeria to the southern part . these transport systems are good and fully air conditioned buses.

Another private mean is Chisco transport. is one of the oldest private transportation companies. its a tour service bus to Nigerians, below is a picture;

These are some of the transport system in Nigeria. It is really fun going on road transport especially long distances, you get to see different places and historically sites. its a great experience.

I schooled in Dublin for a while then relocated back to Nigeria when I was 4 years of age. This was my mum’s decision, and she made the decision in other for me to get to know about the culture and she preferred the upbringing in Nigeria. so I started my primary education in Nigeria, the name of the school is silverdale secondary school. it was a very good school, but had harsh rules and regulations. for example: if I came late to the assembly ground late, I will be given harsh punishments, so everyone knows they have to be present and early for assembly.

Here is a picture below of my school back in Nigeria;

I was into various clubs like the girls scout, karate club, swimming club, home makers club, I was almost is everything, I loved activities like that, I had a great experience, I was the head girl in my primary school, which was a good experience, presented several speeches. Although, the learning environment is different to the school is Dublin, I did 17 subjects in school, YES 17, that’s a whole lot, and I did exams on all of the subjects . In a day of exams I can five subjects or more depending on the time table, which was so stressful. I had three terms in each session, by the end of the session, we have a graduation where you get to be promoted to the next class and academic awards are given. This was my primary education experience schooling in Nigeria.

During my first semester, we had various presentation courses. I did this course named Thinking, writing and presenting, the course is more about interacting in class, debates, presentations and so on, meaning that everyone gets to talk and present. I was assigned a press release presentation, mind you, this was my first presentation in the midst of my course mates and lecturer. It was a good presentation because you get to pick a topic of your choice you want to present, meaning that you have enough knowledge of what you are going to present.

My press release topic was about reducing the voting age to 16. I did a write up on that and presented it in class, when I was done presenting, my course mates and lecturer asked various questions as to what I presented. At first I was anxious because I thought I wouldn’t be able to answer some of the question being asked. But, I could answer all questions and give back good answers. By the end of the presentation, my lecturer gave feedback as to what he thought about my presentation. I got good grades and feedback from him.

Tips on how to present a good press release;

Firstly, you have to know about the topic you are presenting. Have a well informed knowledge of what you are talking about. so when it comes to questions and answers segment , you will know the right answer to give. The more you’re informed about a topic the more knowledge you have to give out and have answers to.

secondary, when typing up your press release , make it short but not too short , have well enough information on the topic you’re talking about in order for your audience to understand your aiming point. Make your press straight to the point and avoid irrelevant information.

Thirdly, check for grammatical errors, put punctuations were needed. so your audience won’t read a wrong sentence because of lack of punctuations. read out load and sit in an upright position , it shows you’re confident and know what you’re talking about.

The last point, when it comes to questions and answers segment, take each question one at a time and answer. This is to avoid confusion .And it also gives you a little time to think before giving an answer out.

All the very best !

photoshop is a skill I learnt while doing photography in my first semester. It was completely new to me, but I had to learn the basics of it because I was assigned an assignment on it, so I had no choice than to learn how it works. so I had to download photoshop bridge on my laptop in order to know how it works and just gain the experience while using various tools.

I was given this assignment called image combination where I got to add various images and use image editing software. More like image creation and graphic design software. when I got started with it, I realised it wasn’t so difficult as I thought it would have been. I got a hang of it by experimenting with various tools and what those tools where need for . The more I practised the better I got at it.

This is an image below of my image combination assignment;

• 

The image shown above was my first attempt using photoshop bridge.

I did a course in my first semester called mobile media also known as mobile video journalism. The course is about recording videos and editing with your mobile phone with apps such as; Kine Master, Filmic pro.

My assignments were on various things, for example; I did an assignment on a Current affair topic which was on homelessness. I have done a video on tea making, and various other ones. in this course you have to learn and have the skills of editing videos .

It is very easy to record and edit on these apps , you can take Youtube videos , it is a high quality video editing app. My first assignment was camera focus and framing video. For this assignment I used the video editing app called FilMic pro, showing my basic skills of operating a camera on a digital device. Ensuring the visual piece was in focus , colour correction/lighting is appropriate and the shot is clear with good framing.

My second assignment was interview and audio techniques, whereby I created a short video (1-2) minute interview ensuring that the subject is situated correctly, the shot is appropriate, and the audio and visual aspects are fit for purpose. I interviewed my course mates for this assignment.

The third assignment was on Editing a sequence, I used the editing app Kine master for this. I was o create a short sequence clip ensuring the editing standards are adhered to. An example is making a cup of tea in different sequence. But my video sequence was about a girl buying food, I did the video in sequence . starting by showing the restaurant, the second was her picking her food, the third clip was her paying for it and the fourth clip was her eating. I clicked on the big red circle on the home screen , then it brought me to a place I could get to pick what style/shape I wanted my video to be in . I clicked on the horizontal shape and went to the place it said record .

These are the steps I took for recording and editing my sequence video;

I clicked the record button to start recording . for my first shot , I clicked record button and it started recording , when I was done with my first clip, I clicked add clip, and the clip was added did the same for the second, third and the rest of the shot . I kept clicking add clip when I was done recording a shot. . When I was done recording my scene, I edited it by cutting/trimming the scene I didn’t want in . There was a close up shot, a medium shot and a wide shot. To give the illusion of a sequence .

A story that can never be forgotten was when my mother told me about her horrific train trip from the northern part of Nigeria to the southern part of Nigeria. It was a holiday time for my mother to return back home from the boarding school where she lived, which was in the northern part of Nigeria, where she booked a train ticket back to the southern part of Nigeria where her parents lived. it was a smooth journey until she got to Ibadan( western part of Nigeria). where some student got down from the train to get food stuff to eat, when the students were done getting food, they returned back to the train, left with a class mates of hers. The train driver was supposed to alert passengers by blowing its hun three times but unfortunately it blew the hun once , but Kalu her classmate, seeing this started running to get on the train before it left , putting a loaf of bread and a tin of fish under his left arm while trying to hold the door rail with his right arm ( though this a normal practice that people do while trying to catch the train) unfortunately for him, the train was faster than he thought and the grip of his right balm was slippery that he couldn’t give a good grip , so he went underneath the train and got crushed. Ever since then she has had phobia of going on trains.

I started learning photography when I got into college. That was a compulsory course in my first semester. I really didn’t have a choice, even when I had zero knowledge on it and skills on how to operate a camera. But as time went , I got to learn and experience the basics of photography. And I got more interested in it. Amazingly! I got my own camera . so I could practice more and since I have a passion for it.

Now let me talk about my very first assignment in photography, my first assignment was camera control, whereby you practice on how to operate a camera and take pictures with different photography skills. Like; shallow depth of field , shallow depth of focus, panning, bulb . Mind you, these skills were very difficult . But with the help of my lecturer and course mate I could get through it, and did pretty well for my first assignment. And the rest of my assignments , I got good grades from me practising continuously with using a camera. These skills will help me in the future when needed.

Below are some of the pictures taken by me:

• 

• 

•