Only 40.5 percent compliance has been recorded nationwide since the full enforcement of installation of the speed limiting devices by commercial vehicles started on February 1, this year, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), has said.
FRSC Corps Marshall Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, who made this known in Lagos, at the joint briefing to flag off this year’s Don’t Drink and Drive Campaign (DD&DC) with the Nigerian Breweries Plc, said of 165,040 commercial vehicles stopped for routine checks, only 66,774 (representing 40.5 percent), have complied by installing the device.
Oyeyemi, who was represented by the Corps Commander and Head of Public Education Office Mr Bisi Kazeem, disclosed that the figure as at September 20, this year, showed that within the same period, 56,214 (34.1 per cent) commercial vehicles were cautioned and advised to install the device in their vehicles, while 494 motorists were arraigned before mobile courts for non-compliance, while 19,602 vehicles were impounded.
Oyeyemi appealed to vehicle owners to install the device on their vehicles as part of measures to reverse the trend of speed-related road crashes in the country.
Besides over speeding, which speed limiting device can help curb, the Corps Marshall said the Corps have also identified vices such as traffic light violation, route violation, use of phone while driving and reckless driving as most prevalent among causative factors of road accidents.
To reverse the trend, the Corps introduced a special intervention patrol code named “Operation Cobra”, which entails the arrest and prosecution of motorists found culpable of traffic regulation violation, some of whom were issued referral notes for phychological evaluation to ascertain their mental status as at the time the offence was committed.
He disclosed that from June when the initiative started till date, 2,360 traffic offenders have been arrested, while 2,143 were referred to various hospitals for psychological evaluation.
“This operation which we flagged off in Abuja has recorded a huge success as the feedback has shown that the act of being referred to hospitals for psychological or mental check up is driving sanity on the roads”, Oyeyemi stated.
While addressing complaints arising from delayed driver’s licence, Oyeyemi said it is worrisome that most applicants still go about with temporary licences after several months if capture at the varios drivers’ licence centres, disclosing that licences were regularly printed and dispatched from the FRSC print farm.
He however urged applicants facing similar challenges to text their licence numbers to 08150654567, and 08058298826, to get the status of their drivers’ licences or call the numbers to ascertain where to pick such up.
Oyeyemi assured that the Corps is commuted to entrenching safety on the nation’s highways through the Don’t Drink and Drive campaign.
This year’s campaign theme “Right to life, not negotiable”, according to Oyeyemi is to further underscore the fact that reducing road crashes is a shared responsibility.
He praised the Nigerian Breweries for sustaining the campaign in the last 10 years, adding that alcohol related crashes remains a major global issue which has taken the front burner over the years across the world.
He Said: “We should note that alcohol when taken above recommended basic limits reduces our sense of judgement as a vehicle driver and often results to speed limit violation for a driver who is driving under the influence of alcohol.”
He said speed limit violation is related to drunk driving when a driver iis driving beyond the specified alcohol limit, the tendency is for him to accelerate above recommended speed limits.
NB Managing Director Mr Johan Doyer disclosed that the initiative which was 10 years old, this year, has been taken to 39 cities an towns across the country and has directly benefitted 16,000 drivers and other road users, with higher numbers of people impacted through mass media messages.
“Our research and evaluation has shown that there is a growing level of awareness against the dangers of drink driving among drivers, We have recorded some behavioural changes among drivers in the last 10 years”, Doyer said.
As part of the 10th anniversary, NB plans to hold mega rallies that will involve the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, luxury bus drivers, keke and okada riders, non government organisations focussing on the transport sector among others.
Doyer who was represented by the Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc Mt Kufre Ekanem said this year’s campaign would be taken to three cities – Lagos, Federal Capital Territory and Enugu. He said the NB Plc is committed to the promotion of safety on the roads.
