By Miriam Humbe
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has stepped up its advocacy and sensitisation campaigns as end of the year travels intensify, making the roads busier than they were in the previous months.
Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed has urged commuters to be at alert and mindful of drivers who show signs of recklessness and drunkenness, before embarking or during their journeys.
Olusegun Ogungbemide, the Assistant Corps Marshal, Corps Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps Headquarters, Abuja disclosed this in a statement signed on Saturday.
The advice became overly imperative in view of the recent crashes that occurred in Jebba, Kwara State on Thursday, 26 December, 2024 and the other that happened on the Owo-Ikare route, before Ose bridge on 28 December, 2024.
The Corps Marshal therefore observed that the recorded road crashes occurred due to the negligence or recklessness of drivers and the inability of passengers to checkmate them, call them to order or even report them to FRSC or other security agencies along their routes.
To mitigate this risk of preventable crashes on the nation’s highways, the Corps Marshal advised commuters to exercise caution when boarding vehicles, be aware of their surroundings and always ensure that their drivers were not under any influence before or during the trips.
The Corps Marshal emphasized that the safety of all road users was of utmost importance, and urged commuters to take responsibility for their safety. This effort is to support all the necessary interventions that the Corps has put in place.
He further highlighted some of the roles of the passengers which include but not limited to checking the driver’s behaviour and attitude before boarding, assessing the vehicle’s condition, including tires, brakes, and lights system.
The Corps Marshal believed that by taking these simple precautions, commuters could significantly reduce their risk of being involved in road crashes.
