Federal Road Safety Commission
(FRSC) has deployed 18,000
personnel, including Regular and
Special Marshals, 800 patrol vehicles,
60 motor bikes, 52 ambulances and
six heavy duty tow trucks along
critical corridors of the highways as
part of plans for a nationwide special
patrol slated for September 30-
October 12, 2014 with the theme,
‘Operation Eid-El-Kabir’.
A statement on Thursday by the
Corps Public Education Officer, Stella
Uchegbu, said this exercise which is
in line with the Corps’ continued
drive to achieve its 2014 strategic
goals of reducing road traffic crashes
by 15 per cent and fatalities by 25 per
cent especially during the festive
season, has also been designed in
view of expected high vehicular
movement.
The campaign was also designed to
address the possible tendencies for
road traffic regulations violations by
motorists during this period.
According to the FRSC, the special
patrol which is aimed at addressing
the spate of avoidable road crashes
usually associated with the festive
season is an all inclusive exercise
which will witness intensive patrols,
prompt rescue services, strict
enforcement of traffic rules and
robust public enlightenment
campaigns across the country.
Objectives of this special exercise
include the removal of obstructions
from the highways, traffic control/
decongestion, public enlightenment
campaigns through the distribution of
safety handbills, radio and television
talk shows and other forms of
awareness campaign, in addition to
strict enforcement of road traffic
regulation.
Infractions such as the use of cell
phone while driving, overloading,
wrongful overtaking, lane violation,
dangerous driving, drink driving,
obstruction and other road vices will
form part of the patrol thrust while
the Corps’ operatives will equally
check speed limit violation through
the use of radar guns.
Aside from massive deployment of
personnel and logistics along
designated corridors and black spots,
the FRSC will also utilize its nine
Help Areas along Hawa Kibo,
Akwanga, Gwagwalada, Lokoja, Ore,
Egbeda, Mowe, Ogere and Kakau
highways, in addition to the
establishment of mobile courts at
specific locations across the country
for quick dispensation with road
traffic offences.
Speaking on the Sallah special patrol,
the FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief
Executive, Boboye Oyeyemi said that
the nationwide exercise ‘forms part of
the Corps’ sustained efforts to build
on its Ember months campaigns
which will be sustained throughout
the end of the year to mitigate
against road crashes during the
yuletide season”.
He added that “the FRSC has a
consistent tradition of enforcing
traffic rules and regulations
throughout the year to avoid a one-off
approach to road safety management
in Nigeria’.
Oyeyemi also spoke specifically on
speed limit violation saying “our
findings indicate that speed limit
violations remain a prevalent factor
on road traffic crashes, accounting
for 39% of road crashes recorded
nationwide between January and
August 2014.
Out of all causative factors, he said
speed violation, dangerous driving
and loss of control which are speed-
related; contribute to most crashes on
our roads.
He said, “This scenario informed a
recent resolution after a
stakeholders’ forum in Abuja to
commence a nationwide enforcement
of the compulsory use of speed
limiters in all vehicles from June 1,
2015, with commercial vehicles
forming part of the phase one of this
proposed enforcement”.
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