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The Kwara state sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Jonathan Owoade, has identified impatience, wrongful overtaking, night driving, use of phones while driving and over speeding as causes of major road accidents.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Monday on the sideline of events commemorating road traffic crash victims’ day, said that an average of 72 road crashes were recorded in the last two months of September and October with loss of about 96 lives on major roads in the state.
The FRSC boss, who said that Nigerians comply and obey traffic rules and regulations outside the country, lamented that they disobey traffic laws that discourage carnage and encourage road safety on Nigerian roads.
“Crashes do not happen on their own. They’re caused by our wrong attitude and wrong perception among drivers most of the time. People should give right of way, even when another driver has taken wrong way. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Most people who claim right are in grave yards.
“However, the enforcement of right attitude is made difficult by some offenders who say I have a super brother. I’m connected. That attitude informed wrong attitude to traffic rules among some drivers in the country. If people are made to face wrath of the law, the incidents would be reduced. Like when you arrest some offenders, you will then be receiving calls from high places and prominent personalities seeking assistance. That’s not encouraging”.
To commemorate the day, the sector commander said that, “We encourage people to reduce speed to 30 kilometer per hour in build up areas and in the town to avoid knock down and ensure proper traffic management. We have had occasions where people knock down school children, cyclists etc. It’s easier and safer to manoeuvre vehicles to a stop when on low speed.
“We should plan our journey ahead of time and not be in a hurry, because one may not expect what could confront one on the journey. Those who are in hurry either land in hospital and become vegetable thereafter or no more. We should take life easy. Easy does it”.
The sector commander also advised commercial vehicle drivers to ensure lane discipline by being on service lane and not spreading themselves across the road way, saying that the habit usually caused road accident as oncoming vehicles may not be able to apply brake to avoid collision.
He also advised motoring public to discourage driving against one-way, calling on the state government to block opening in front of the NNPC filling station along Asa Dam road, Ilorin, where he said drivers are in the habit of driving against one-way.
He also said that the weeklong celebration would be marked by presentation of gifts to victims of crashes, interdenominational church and mosque prayer service, among others.
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