The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ondo State Command, has urged drivers to avoid speeding and wrongful overtaking to prevent road crashes.
The call was made by Dr. Samuel Ibitoye, the FRSC State Sector Commander, during a sensitisation event held at Oloko Park in Akure on Wednesday.
In his address, Ibitoye highlighted the importance of adhering to road safety rules, emphasizing that drivers must embrace safe driving habits, particularly on highways. “Speeding has been a major cause of death on Nigerian roads. We must not overspeed or overtake wrongly, and we must install speed limit devices for our safety and the passengers,” he stated.
The sensitisation campaign was aimed at reminding drivers of their responsibilities on the road, as part of the FRSC’s ongoing efforts to reduce road accidents. According to Ibitoye, “We are out to change the attitude of the people. We want to change the behaviour of the people so that, at the end of the day, we have safer roads.”
He further explained the impact of road crashes on families, the economy, and society as a whole. “When we have a bus conveying 18 passengers from 18 different families, if anything happens on the road, you know that the 18 families are primarily affected, and they have dependants. The multiplying effect is controlled by the commercial drivers. The consequence is very colossal and it affects everybody.”
Dr. Ibitoye also called on the public to collaborate with the FRSC in making Nigeria’s roads safer. “As drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, we all have roles to play. When you play your role and I play my role, the road will be safer, and you can move from point A to point B without fear of crashes,” he remarked.
He stressed that while there are sanctions for erring drivers, the primary goal is not punishment but cultivating a culture of road safety. “There is a sanction for any erring driver, but the sanction is not the real thing we want. We want them to imbibe road safety, we want them to be cautious and drive moderately,” Ibitoye added.
In response, Tajudeen Kareem, the state Deputy Secretary of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Ondo State Chapter, commended the FRSC for the enlightenment. “We must caution ourselves while on the wheel, and those who have not installed speed-limit devices should do it for the betterment of their lives and the passengers as well,” Kareem said.
He also noted that the sensitisation would significantly impact drivers’ attitudes and help reduce reckless driving on the state’s roads.
