The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, explained that the agency has recorded three horrific crashes that claimed the lives of 91 people in the last one month.
He mentioned this on Thursday during a press briefing and meeting with stakeholders in Abuja. The meeting was to address the current road safety challenges such as carrying inflammable substances, night trips, speeding, overloading and their devastating effects on the nation’s highways.
According to him, the records of crashes in Nigeria such as the one that occurred in Niger State on the 8th of September this year which claimed 48 lives, another in Sabon Wuse on 12 September which claimed 18 lives as well as another in Kaduna State on 15 September, claiming 25 lives is a call for concern as the accidents could have been avoided.
He complained that while the government was doing its best to provide and maintain transport facilities in accordance with global best practices, some road users, especially drivers, have continued to make a mockery of the efforts by exhibiting a high level of recklessness on the roads.
Mohammed therefore directed commanding officers of the corps to ensure round the clock enforcement of traffic offenses so as to mitigate the excesses immediately, stressing that a special patrol operation will be instituted and enforcement would be carried out nationwide.
He expressed the hope that road crashes would drastically reduce by the end of the year after the meeting.
Chief Buruche Julius, representing the Luxurious Buses Association, said their buses preferred to travel at night because the roads were free at night to enable them to travel conveniently.
He also complained about the bad state of the roads due to portholes as well as road congestion during the day which encourages night travels for the luxurious buses, and they rarely record crashes.
He mentioned the skilled and cautious drivers already trained by the road safety officials and the presence of managers during trips to monitor drivers.
The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alh. Abubakar Maigandi Shettima who commented to journalists said that tanker drivers have been advised several times not to drive in the night which they try to adhere to.
Nigeria has recorded multiple crashes due to bad roads, faulty vehicles, non adherence to traffic regulations and tanker drivers. The death toll of 3 crashes reached 91 in one month.
