AUTO CRASHES HIGHEST KILLER OF NIGERIANS AS FRSC SEEKS ONDO NUJ SUPPORT

Boboye Olayemi Oyeyemi as the Corps Marshal/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC.

The Ondo state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mr Rotimi Adeleye has revealed that millions of lives would have been lost to road crashes across the country if not for regular enforcement of traffic rules and patrol of highways by men and officers of the agency.
Mr Adeleye stated this when he led his top officials to pay a courtesy visit on the new leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo state Council at the Press centre, Alagbaka-Akure.
The Sector Commander represented by the State Head of Operations, Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, charged motorists to always obey traffic rules and not to see FRSC personnel as enemies on the roads, rather as partners who were deployed to ensure safety on the highways.

Mr Adeleye who attributed successes recorded by the FRSC for years to good relationship between it and the media, added that road crashes killed Nigerians more than HIV/AIDS or any other disease.
Adeleye, lamented that most road accidents across the country occurred as a result of human factors
He listed some of the human factors that resulted in road crashes to include over-speeding, lack of concentration, tiredness, driving under the influence of alcohol and dangerous overtaking on the highway.

Adeleye who stated this during a courtesy visit of the corps to the Ondo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Akure, advised motorists to always avoid road crashes by obeying all the traffic rules while driving.
The commander lamented that the many Nigerian motorists ignored traffic rules, which could lead to road accidents, adding that many road crashes were avoidable if the motorists strictly obeyed the traffic laws.

Adeleye, noted that road crashes killed faster than cancer, HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus) and other deadly diseases, saying there was a need for motorists to mindful of the traffic rules whenever they were on the road.
He said, ”Out of 150 vehicles that move on the road in Nigeria, 15 of them get involved in avoidable road accidents, Road accident could kill suddenly, unlike disease with could allow the victims to prepare and arrange his will”.

”That is why we are calling on our motorists to always obey traffic rules whenever they are driving but unfortunately many people take the traffic rules for granted.
“Some would be driving without putting on the seat belts, some will be making phone calls while driving and when we stop them, they will be claiming to be this and that in the society”, he opined.
”This is not good enough, we need to stop this attitude of impunity, a crash does not recognize whether you are a police or army officer or uniformed men in the society.

Adeleye said “The FRSC is not about death, it is about rescue when you call on us with 122 toll free line from anywhere in the country, our men,
who were nearer the accident scene will be there.”
He, however, said the agency has been doing all within its reach to orientate, educate and sensitise the public on the need to obey traffic rules to avoid avoidable accidents and called on the motorists in the state to report any officer, who misbehaved on the road, to the command for necessary action.

”Any officer you see misbehaving on the road, just get the name on the chest of the officer and report him or her at any of our offices, we shall definitely take action, we don’t tolerate indiscipline, we don’t tolerate corruption,” the FRSC boss stated.
In his remarks, the state chairman of the NUJ, Mr Adetona Aderoboye said there was a need for the FRSC to collaborate with the media in its campaign against over speeding, overloading, reckless driving and other traffic disobedience
Aderoboye expressed the readiness of media professionals in the state to support road safety enlightenment campaign for the benefit of road users.

The NUJ Chairman assured FRSC that NUJ would partner the corps to ensure all journalists in the state who use cars, were captured in the drivers’ license project of the government.