Crashes: Don’t demonise “ember” months, FRSC warns motorists

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has blamed causes of road crashes on the use of worn-out tyres and impatience by motorists, saying that no demon causes accidents during “ember” months.

The Acting Corps Marshal of FRSC, DCP Ali Biu, gave the warning at the start of the 2022 “ember” months’ campaign in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

Biu, represented by the National Assistant Public Education Officer, DCC C.E. Edem, also warned against “distracted driving”, by motorists whom he said used to indulge in using cellphones while behind the wheels.

The Acting Corps Marshal described the use of cellphones by motorists while driving as “distracted driving”, saying the act is dangerous.

He said that driving involves the engagement of all sense organs, explaining that a slight distraction on the part of the driver could cause danger to the driver and other road users.

Similarly, the Zonal Commanding Officer of FRSC, Ilorin, Kwara, ACM Hyginus Omejei, warned against speeding and carrying of excess luggage by motorists.

According to him, available data have shown that between 2009 and 2011, 25.8 per cent of fatal-related crashes on the nation’s highways were caused by speeding.

He, therefore, encouraged commercial drivers to embrace the installation of “Speed Limit Device” in their vehicles.

In his address, the Sector Commander of the FRSC in Ekiti, Mr Olusola Joseph, said that the annual “ember” months’ event was aimed at reawakening the road users’ consciousness to the realities of the last four months of the year.

Joseph explained that the 2022 campaign with the theme: “Avoid Speeding, Overloading and Unsafe Tyres to Arrive Alive”, wss decided upon to focus on the major causative factors of road traffic crashes, that is, the human factor.

He said, “engaging in speeding, overloading of vehicles (either human or goods) and using of worn-out as well as second hand tyres known as “tokunbo” tyres are human activities that usually lead to crashes.

“When that happens, particularly during the last quarter of the year; rather than apportioning blames appropriately, people are rather quick to demonise this period.”

In his good will message, Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, said that attitudinal change was the only panacea capable of creating safer roads and the assurance of better lives.

Oyebanji, who, was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ekiti Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Sunday Akomolafe, restated the commitment of his adminstration at rehabilitating the deplorable roads across the state.

He said that works were ongoing at the bad portions of roads across the state.

There were also goodwill messages from the representatives of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Pickup and Lorries Association of Nigeria (PLAN) as well as from other stakeholders.