Ahead of the Easter celebration, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned road users against drunk-driving, overloading, overspeeding, and dangerous overtaking, among other vices that could cause road crashes.
Addressing stakeholders at the official flag-off of 2024 Easter Motor Park Mega Rally at Nyanya motor park in Abuja, the corps marshal of the FRSC, Dauda Biu, said the rally has become particularly imperative in view of the envisioned increase in vehicular and human movements across the country as the festive period gathers momentum.
Speaking further on the activities for the season, the corps marshal, who was represented by the deputy corps marshal (Operations), DCM Shehu Zaki, said: “The Federal Road Safety Corps is working assiduously to ensure a significant shift in the attitude of motorists this year 2024, as such, Nigerians must be aware that frequent cases of road crashes on our roads is not linked to any spirit killing people, rather, an increase in humanity and vehicular movement, bad driving behaviour, and impatience are the major causes.
“We are particular about the necessity of this sensitization campaign because during the 2023 Easter special patrol operations which lasted between 6-12 April, 2023, the Corps recorded a total of 107 road traffic crashes that involved 705 people. From these crashes, 81 people were killed, 345 victims injured while 279 people were rescued without injuries. This is unacceptable and the Corps has risen to surmount this very challenge by bringing sensitization talks to the door steps of commuters; as a strategic intervention to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities, in line with our 2024 corporate strategic goals.
“Going by the remote and immediate causes of these crashes, it is therefore considered apt to affirm that drinking and driving, overloading of vehicles, use of worn out tyres, overloading, lane indiscipline, excessive speed, wrongful overtaking etc do not only pose a threat to the life of the driver, but also to the lives and properties of all road users (motorists, pedestrians, and even animals). Such bad driving behaviours are still threats to the state of road infrastructures which costs a lot of tax payers’ resources to produce.
“As part of efforts to deal with these challenges, the Corps came up with the idea of taking the message of safety down to all of us at the motor parks quite early due to the critical role the union officials play on the road; as a prelude to massive deployment of personnel and logistics to the highways, particularly at the black spots for the containment of the perennial traffic gridlock and the accompanying hazards.
“The corps has also put in place, key strategic measures to combat crashes on the road. These initiatives include the flag-off of joint task force against use of trailers to convey human beings which contradicts the original design of the vehicle. We have also ensured the commencement of enforcement on overloading of vehicles and the intensification of Mobile Court operations nationwide. Our collaboration with the Nigeria Bar Association is already yielding results as prosecution of recalcitrant offenders including drivers involved in fatal crashes is in top gear.”
Also, the representative of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), SP Alexander Basil, who spoke at the event, urged drivers to avoid travelling at nights, drinking of alcohol before, during travelling as these have contributed more to road crashes.
