The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned drivers against irresponsible driving, attributing the increasing road crashes and deaths during the ember months to their activities rather than imaginary demons.
Inaugurating the 2023 ember-months campaign in Akwanga Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State, Nasarawa State Sector Commander of FRSC, CC Innocent Maigari, emphasized the need for drivers to observe the allowed driving limit, as over-speeding contributes to over 80 percent of crash-related deaths in the country.
According to Maigari, irresponsible driving includes compromising basic safety requirements, poor journey planning and management, influx of new vehicle owners without requisite training and licenses, underage driving, experimenting long distance driving, overloading, driving fatigue, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, among others.
Chief Route Commander, Akwanga Unit, (CRC) Byencit Gambo, highlighted the rush factor by motorists during the period as a significant cause of the increased crashes. Gambo also appealed to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to ensure that only qualified and well-behaved persons are allowed to drive commercial vehicles to prevent crashes, especially during this period.
Rabiu Maina, Chairman of NURTW in the area, lauded the FRSC for the sensitization and promised to ensure compliance among their members. The event also featured presentations by NDLEA and free testing by FRSC partners, all in line with the theme for the 2023 campaign: ‘Speed thrills but kills; drive responsibly and avoid overloading’.
FRSC continues to emphasize that safety on the road is a collective responsibility and calls for the support of all stakeholders, including security agencies, hospitals, traditional and religious leaders, special marshals, and road safety clubs, in their efforts to save lives and reduce road crashes.
