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Tag: Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)

  • FRSC records 2,805 crashes, 1602 deaths in four months

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it recorded 2, 805 road traffic crashes and 1,602 deaths across the country between September and December, 2017.

    The Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known on Thursday in Makurdi at the flag-off of 2018 “Ember Months’’ campaign tagged: “Safe Driving Saves Lives”.

    Oyeyemi said that 4503 vehicles were involved in the crashes during the period, adding that the death toll recorded in the four months was out of 20,196 persons involved in the incidents.

    Represented by FRSC Sector Commander in Nasarawa State, Mrs Faustina Alegbe, Oyeyemi said that “Ember Months’’ usually recorded high number of casualties because of the struggle by most people to travel to meet their loved ones.

    He dispelled the notion that evil forces on the roads were responsible for accidents during the ember months, explaining that it was due to abuse of traffic rules by road users to reach their destinations on time.

    “The resolve of the Corps as of today is to use the media and all public enlightenment channels to proffer a way forward for the reduction of road traffic crashes.’’

    Read Also: FRSC urges drivers to rest after four hours of driving

    He advised all road users to make use of headlamps for improved visibility following the change in weather, adding that all highway drivers should endeavour to have their driver’s licence and highway codes.

    Flagging off the campaign, Benue Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, said that his administration had embarked on the repair of roads in the state to reduce traffic crashes.

    Ortom, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Terwase Orbunde, decried the attitude of politicians who allowed their supporters to climb on top of car roofs during rallies and other political events.

    He urged FRSC to clamp down on drivers carrying passengers in their cars’ boots, and promised that his administration would partner the corps to ensure that the roads were safe for all users.

    In his welcome address, the Sector Commander, Mr David Mendie, appealed to all motorists to put their vehicles in good condition before embarking on any journey.

    Mendie appealed to the government to repair the Gboko -Aliade road, especially at Amaco Hotel and other bad roads in the state.

    He said that FRSC had resolved to reduce road traffic crashes in the state and urged all road users to obey traffic rules.

     

    NAN

  • Impounded vehicles will not be released until January — FRSC

    The Ogun Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Thursday  said that vehicles impounded for violating traffic regulations at construction sites  would not be released until January next year.

    Mr Clement Oladele, Ogun Sector Commander of FRSC, disclosed this at the launch of Ember Months campaign orgainsed in collaboration with the Shell Nigeria.  The campaign was entitled : Safe Driving, Safe Arrival.

    He noted that for every two deaths that occurred during a crash this year, one of them occurred at construction sites.

    Oladele said this year had been most challenging for FRSC as road crashes were on the increase.

    “This development is alarming because the 214 lives lost so far this year was more than that of 2017 figure which was 210,” he said.

    He said over half of the crashes that occurred at various construction sites in the state could be traced to speeding.

    The sector commander implored motorists to be cautious at construction sites as vehicles arrested for speeding and over taking would be impounded.

    “Motorists should not speed above 50 Km per hour at construction sites to avoid unnecessary loss of lives. “Oladele said.

    He further cautioned motorists to desist from wrongful overtaking on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway due to several diversions on the roads.

    Read Also: FRSC urges drivers to rest after four hours of driving

    Oladele commended both the federal and state governments for massive construction of roads across the state.

    Mr Adekunle Oguntoyinbo, Sango-Ota Unit Commander of FRSC, said that the campaign could not have come at a better time as the global attention was focused on road crashes.

    According to him, road crashes had caused immense damage to human and economic resources of the nation.

    He said that as  the festive period approaches, motorists must ensure that their vehicles were good  condition before embarking on any trip.

    “Motorists should ensure that their vehicles meet up with minimum safety standards before putting them on the road.

    “Their brake system and horn must be in good condition and also desist from using expired tyres,” he said.

    Oguntoyinbo also warned motorists to desist from using cell phone while driving.

    The unit commander reiterated FRSC’s commitment to collaborate with all stakeholders to reduce crashes and make the highways safer for the people.

    NAN

  • FRSC urges drivers to rest after four hours of driving

    Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nasarawa Sector Command, has urged drivers to rest after four hours of driving.
    Mrs Faustina Alegbe, the state sector commander, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NANt) in Lafia on Wednesday that the move would prevent fatigue and accidents on the roads.

    Alegbe tasked drivers to take a minimum of 15 minutes after every four hours of driving to relax and energise themselves.
    “I want to use this medium to advise drivers to endeavour to take a break after every four hours of driving. At least, drivers should take a minimum of 15 minutes rest before continuing driving.

    “The time will afford them the opportunity to rest and assess their driving. The drivers can also use the 15-minute rest period to check the vehicle.
    “The rest period and checking of the vehicle will ensure that they arrive at their destination safely. Taking this break is very important because it prevents fatigue which is a factor that causes accidents on our roads.

    “We are harping on this break because we want our drivers to always be alert and fresh while driving,” she said.
    The Nasarawa state FRSC sector commander also advised drivers to minimise conversation with passengers while driving.
    “Anything form of distraction can lead to accident, a good driver even while chatting should not be distracted on the highway.

     

    Read Also: FRSC seeks assistance for youth safe driving initiatives

     

    “So, I want to urge passengers not to distract drivers with arguments, but keep them alert with light talk.“Use of phone while driving is distractive, even eating while driving is dangerous. So, I am appealing to both drivers and passengers to be safety conscious while in a vehicle transporting them to their destinations,” she said.

    Alegbe, however, said the state command had commenced the ‘ember’ months’ campaign.
    She appealed to all road users to inculcate the habit of constantly maintaining their vehicles before embarking on a journey.

    “I want to draw the attention of all road users to the fact that the ember months’ period is a period when the weather is very hazy and foggy.
    “So, road users have to imbibe safety precaution with regards to road usage.

    “They should ensure that the head lamps are very bright and in good condition, they also should check the brake of their vehicles before they embark on journey’’ she said

    NAN

  • Apapa gridlock may linger for a while – FRSC

    Mr Hyginus Omeje, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Lagos State has said that the traffic gridlock around Apapa Port may linger for a while.

    Omege disclosed this on Saturday while accessing the challenges facing the corps in managing the perennial traffic situation in the area.

    He said that his men were handicapped to enforce traffic regulations that could lead to arrest and prosecution of truck drivers.

    He said most of the trucks and tankers were owned by some powerful Nigerians who often used security operatives to escort the vehicles to loading points through a one-way traffic.

    “My officers often try to enforce arrest and subsequent prosecution, but the culprits mostly go free after one influential person calls from Abuja, demanding for the release of the impounded vehicles.

    “This is a daily occurrence that has been impeding the operations of the FRSC in tackling the wharf access road crisis.

    “How do you expect the gridlock to disappear when one cannot enforce traffic regulations and some people who feel that their vehicles cannot be on the queue transgress the law with impunity,” Omeje said.

    According to him, the government needs a strong political will to check the excesses of truck drivers.

    Read Also: FRSC tasks petrol tanker drivers on safety regulations

    He said that every truck or tanker on the road had one powerful Nigerian behind it.

    “If regulations and prosecution were to be implemented, the crisis will not have gotten to this life-threatening state where drivers and motor boys die while waiting to load or drop off containers at the port,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • FRSC seeks assistance for youth safe driving initiatives

    The Sango-Ota Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday, appealed to corporate organisations to partner with it to ensure the success of safety education campaign schools in the state.

    Mr Adekunle Oguntoyinbo, the Unit Commander, FRSC, made the appeal at the 2nd Annual Safety Ouiz Competition organised by its Special Marshals in Ota, Ogun.

    Oguntoyinbo said there was the need for such organisations to support the command’s laudable safety programmes by helping to fund them.

    He added that safety education and the annual safety quiz competition were some of such laudable programmes aimed stemming incessant crashes in the state.

    The FRSC official said that the programmes were also designed as strategies to inculcate safe driving measures into youths at a tender age.

    He said that the programmes also targeted at pupils and those in secondary schools across the state.

    “We need to inculcate safety measures into our youths, at a tender age, to make our roads safer in the future.

    Read Also: FRSC tasks petrol tanker drivers on safety regulations

    “Youths are the leaders of the tomorrow, if they can imbibe safety measures early, they would be able to preach safety to others, especially their parents.’’ the FRSC commander said.

    Oguntoyinbo noted that paucity of funds was a challenge confronting the unit command in implementing its laudable programmes to help save lives and property.

    The unit commander implored everyone to be safety conscious saying that “it is only the living that can celebrate, as the year runs to an end’’.

    The six schools that participated in the competition include: Crescent International School, the Bells College, Access College, Anointed College, Iganmode Grammar School, D-Ivy College, all in Ota.

    Crescent International School came first, followed by the Bells College while Iganmode Grammar School came third.

    Mustapha Qayyum, a student of Crescent International School, expressed delight at having come first in the competition.

    Qayyum lauded the programme, saying that it had helped him improve his knowledge of current affairs.

    He urged the organizers to continue with the programme, noting that it was beneficial to him, his colleagues and parents.

    NAN

  • FRSC tasks petrol tanker drivers on safety regulations

    The Lagos State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Friday, advised petrol tanker drivers to adhere to safety regulations during loading and on transit.

    Mr Hyginus Omoje, the Sector Commander, gave this advice during a sanitization workshop to mark the three years anniversary of “Safe-to-load FRSC intervention programme”.

    Omoje, said that Safe-to-load was instituted to curb road crashes and tanker fire outbreaks, halt loss of lives, economic waste and its negative impacts on the environment.

    The commander, who expressed worry on the recent tanker fire-outbreaks in the country that claimed lives and properties, said that the event would afford them the opportunity to review the programme.

    According to him, safety is an all-encompassing thing, involving the depot owners, managers, safety officers and the drivers in the chain of petroleum product distribution and transportation.

    “We started posting our officers to depots to assist the owners and their managers to adhere to regulations with the fire outbreaks reoccurring at alarming rates.

    Read Also: 237 die in Ogun road crashes in 10 months – FRSC

    “The truck checklist, which we issued to depots, is a comprehensive safety template that if religiously followed by the operators, will save us from a lot of road crashes and fire incidents.

    “Our previous review of the safe-to-load initiative, which began in 2015, has shown a progressive trend, as tanker fire outbreaks and tanker induced road crashes were reduced in 2016 and 2017,” Omoje said.

    He said that the command wished to use the event to remind the drivers and the depot owners to adhere to the provisions of the truck and depot checklist.

    Mr Adebayo Habib, the spokesman of the operators, called on the command to take the campaign to the various depots as most infractions started from the depots.

    Habib pledged on behalf of the tanker owners to ensure that every depot would employ the services of professional Health Safety Environment (HSE) officers to ensure checks at depots.

    NAN

  • FRSC inaugurates Ember Months safety campaign in Anambra

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Wednesday inaugurated the 2018 Ember Months Road Safety awareness in Anambra.

    The campaign, with the theme, “Safe Driving, Save Lives’’, held at TRACAS Park, UNIZIK Junction, on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

    The Corps Commander in Anambra, Mr Sunday Ajayi, said the Ember months campaign was part of the activities to bring awareness on the implications of traffic infractions to the people.

    Ajayi said the last quarter of the year was always characterised with high vehicular traffic and warned motorists against speeding, dangerous overtaking, overloading, route violation and use of mobile phones while driving.

    He said all hands should be on deck as road safety was a shared responsibility and called on all to adhere to road traffic safety rules.

    “The rate of road traffic crashes is high and it calls for urgent step to deal with the menace, however, records have shown progressive reduction in road traffic crashes in Anambra,’’ he said.

    On the event, Mr Marcel Obijiofor, Commissioner for Works in Anambra, said good road infrastructure was crucial to safety on the road.

    Obijiofor said dilapidated state roads in Anambra were getting attention as Gov. Willie Obiano had directed their repairs in the next two weeks.

    The commissioner called on the Federal Government to repair federal roads in the state as the state did not have enough funds to take care of them.

    He said the Amawbia to Umunya stretch of the Enugu-Onitsha highway was now nearly impassible and urged the Federal Government to fix it and other federal roads.

    Read Also:36 die in road accident in Ondo state – FRSC

    “His Excellency has directed that all state roads should be repaired in the next two weeks, we have been doing palliative works on federal roads but we don’t have enough money.

    “So, we are urging the Federal Government to refund Anambra the money it spent on federal projects in the state worth about N42 billion, just as we continue to partner with FRSC to keep the roads in the state safe,’’ he said.

    In his message, the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, warned that the weather condition was changing and that motorists should ensure that their headlamps were good for clear visibility.

    Oyeyemi, represented by Mr Kehinde Adeleye, Zonal Commanding Officer, RS5 Benin, said that during the ember months, enforcement would go alongside enlightenment.

    The FRSC boss said no fewer than 1,602 persons died in 2,805 crashes involving 20,196 road users between September and December 2017.

    Declaring the event open, Gov. Willie Obiano said his administration would do all that was possible to keep the roads and the state safe for the residents at all times.

    Obiano, represented by Mr Harry Udu, the Head of Civil Service in the state, said safe roads was within the security architecture of the state and promised to enable FRSC succeed.

    He urged drivers to be careful and ensure that innocent people did not suffer for their recklessness.

  • 36 die in road accident in Ondo state – FRSC

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday said no fewer than 36 persons had died in motor accidents in Ondo state from January till date.

    Sector Commander of the corps in the state, Mr Rotimi Adeleye, made this known at the 2018 African Road Safety Day and World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims, in Akure.

    The United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) adopted third Sunday in November every year as World Day for the remembrance for road traffic victims. Theme for this year’s edition is “Roads Have Stories.”

    Adeleye said that FRSC was organizing a week-long activities to commemorate the event and to sensitize the living to the need to stem the tide of road traffic crashes.

    He said that there were some black spots on some roads, including Oka-Akoko axis in North Senatorial District, Akure-Owo axis, Ore-Lagos Expressway and Onyeragbulem Junction in Akure, where accidents often occurred in the state.

    “On May 29, 16 lives were lost to road crashes in Oka-Akoko, with 13 of the victims burnt to ashes without identification.

    “On Jan. 21, along Akure-Owo road, near Celestial Church by Agbogbo Junction, eight people died on-the-spot in an accident.

    “In the same vein, on July 15, at Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area, eight people also died.

    “Also, the most recent that claimed lives of a family at Onyeragbulem junction in Akure occurred on Oct. 3 when a mother with her two children and elderly woman died,” he said.

    Adeleye said that the crashes were caused by commercial drivers, but stated that the command had introduced enforcement to the section on any erring driver of speeding.

    Read Also: Man dies inside swimming pool in Akure

    “We have put enforcement in place, if you traverse the state and you are speeding and you are apprehended, we are ready to delay you for two hours.

    “With this enforcement, it will put some senses into theirs head so that when you get to Ondo state you will reduce your speed and put some senses in your driving culture,” he said.

    The commander said that the effects of the crashes were felt not only within the immediate families but in the extended and nation “because it depletes it virile workforce’’.

    He, therefore, called on major stakeholders and road users to join hand with the command to make the roads safer, especially during the yuletide.

    “Road safety is everybody’s business; therefore, everybody should be involved in one way or the other in making our highways safe.

    “We are all aware that government alone cannot effectively fund road safety programs, neither can a government agency like FRSC single-handedly deal effectively with road safety issues,” Adeleye said.

    While speaking at the event, the Ondo state governor,Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, commended the efforts of the FRSC in reduction of road crashes in the state.

  • Road crashes reduce by 34 per cent in C/River – FRSC

    Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Cross River State, Corps Commander Nkwonta Chidebere, says there has been a 34 per cent reduction in road crashes, as well as a 50 reduction of fatalities in the state since January this year.

    Chidebere, who was speaking at the 2018 Ember Months Programme in Etim Edem Motor Park in Calabar on Thursday said they have recorded continual trending down of road crashes over the years because of the strategies they were deploying to check the problem.

    He said such trending down was despite the fact that the vehicle and driver population on the roads are on the increase.

    “This is formal launch of flag off of ember months end of year special patrol. Towards this time of the year, every year, activities shift to the road because people want to catch up before the end of the year and because of Christmas. So usually the volume of traffic increases and the road itself is not expanding so that naturally brings a lot of competition on the road. Often it leads to crashes. Because we know this over time, that is why we take steps to warn the people because preventive measures cost less than the consequences of neglect.

    Read Also: JAMB conducts recruitment exams for FRSC candidates

    “We want to prevent and sensitize the people way before the rush hour, so that psychologically they would be prepared and know what to anticipate on the road and prepare for it way ahead and ultimately, it would reduce the crashes on the roads. We are working with sister agencies and the motoring public. We call for the cooperation of everybody because road safety is everybody’s business. All hands must be on deck to achieve our targets,” the Sector Commander said.

    Deputy Governor of the State, Prof Ivara Esu, emphasized the need for safe driving on the roads.

    He urged drivers to always ensure that they are in good health and their vehicles in good condition.

  • FRSC begins ember-month sensitization with new approach

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says the corps is embarking on the end of the year sensitization of the public to the causes of road accidents in a more pragmatic approach for efficiency.

    Mr Bisi Kazeem, the Public Education Officer of the corps, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja , that “ there is no delay at all in 2018 ember months campaign flag-off.

    “The only excuse is that the paradigm had shifted from the conventional approach to a more dynamic and result-oriented one.

    “Now, motor park rallies are ongoing within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) since ember months began because the corps is committed to enhanced communication and reduction of road accident rate by 25 per cent and fatality rate by 15 per cent.

    “Apart from rallies, the FCT command of the corps will soon flag-of its end of the year campaign like other 36 state commands are presently doing.

    “You will recall that at the beginning of the year, Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi read the corporate strategic goals of the corps and what the corps needs to achieve in 2018.

    “This includes, but not limited, to enhanced communication and reduction of road traffic crashes by 25 per cent and fatality rate by 15 per cent.

    “So, the ember month rally has become expedient in the realisation of these goals and the corps is not relenting in that regards; remember that the end of the year campaign flag-off is always in November through December’’.

    According to him, “Don’t Drink and Drive’’ Campaign has begun in Lagos, Niger, Akwa Ibom and Abia, as part of activities for the ember months campaign.

    Read Also: FRSC urges Ogun govt to evacuate beggars from highway

     

    He said that the campaign had existed for 11 years as an integral part of the ember months campaign with particular reference to “drunk-driving’’.

    “The successes recorded so far have been amazing because in the last 11 years, so many drivers have been enlightened across 44 major locations in Nigeria,’’ he said.

    He further explained that because the ember months were usually characterised by an unprecedented increase in movement of vehicles and tendency among the drivers to drink more, the corps introduced the campaign in partnership with some breweries.

    “Similarly, this year’s campaign has been more promising as we have engaged the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in camps on the dangers of drunk-driving.

    “We are drawing participation from governmental and non-governmental organisations and the corps has also introduced Motorcade Factor — a road show awareness campaign — for drivers and road users,’’ he said.