Worried by the frequent cases of traffic violations and accidents that they cause, road safety stakeholders have called for proactive measures and strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations to curb traffic accidents in the country.
The stakeholders particularly called for the review of penalties for traffic violations to make them more stringent, so as to dissuade reckless driving and current disregard of traffic rules by motorists.
Speaking at a roundtable and dinner organised for critical stakeholders in transportation and road safety matters in Abuja, the FCT VIO squadron leader, Dr Yusuf Suberu, said motorists must obey traffic rules and regulations in order to reduce road accidents.
He said there should be sustained advocacy and enlightenment to enhance safe driving culture in the country, adding that safety on the highways was a collective responsibility of all road users.
Suberu, who is also the representative of the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention in Nigeria, stated that there is the need to apply caution on our roads because some of the victims are important personalities and breadwinners of their families. He said drivers should be considerate by not doing something that would endanger other road users.
While also speaking at the event with the theme, “the challenges of pre-crash, crash and post-crash issues in Nigeria; the way forward,” the commissioner of police in the FCT, Haruna Garba, called for coordinated response to crashes, so as to minimise casualties and provide effective support to victims and their families.
According to him, existing road safety laws should be reviewed and strengthened to align with international standards.
The FRSC corps marshal, Dauda Ali-Biu, attributed most fatal crashes in the country to the attitude of drivers who were always speeding, impatient or had their vehicles loaded beyond limit.
The FRSC boss assured that they would continue to be vigilant and maintain steady patrols of the nation’s highways to deter violators of traffic rules and regulations.