Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has urged road users across the country to be conscious of their safety on the highways during the festive period.
Oyeyemi gave the advice at the flag-off ceremony of the 2019 Eid-el-Kabir mega rally campaign organised by the corps to sensitise drivers and other road users at Wazobia park, Gwagwalada in Abuja.
Oyeyemi, who was represented by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr Bisi Kazeem, said that the campaign had become imperative in view of the envisioned increase in vehicular and human movement across the country.
He added that it was necessary for road users, especially the commercial drivers, to know basic traffic rules and regulations with a view to reducing crashes on the highways.
“The fallout of this is the tendency for drivers to violate speed limits for possible economic or social gains, commit lane indiscipline, overload their vehicles and disregard other traffic rules and regulations.
“These violations heighten the spate and fatalities of road traffic crashes within the period,” he said.
He said that the corps had come out to tackle the situation head-on with commitment and determination as evidenced by the comprehensive measures put in place to address it.
Oyeyemi said that it was the responsibility of every road user to drive to stay alive.
He also said that the right to life was not negotiable, and urged the motoring public not to compromise their safety on the roads.
“Only the living celebrates. Wrong driving will not be allowed and speeding would not be acceptable as well.
“Enlightenment without enforcement is just a mere entertainment. The more reason we came up with this idea of taking the message of safety down to all of us at the motor parks,” he said.
The Corps Marshal appealed to motorists, especially commercial drivers, to avoid speeding, overloading, use of cell phones while driving, among other anti-road safety activities during and after Eid-el-Kabir.
Oyeyemi urged the road users to heed to all established laws, show compassion to other road users and also be more patient, adding: “let us drive as if our families are in the other vehicles.”
In his remark, Chairman, Wazobia Park, Mr Ibeabuchi Ifeanyi, described the sensitisation campaign as timely and commendable.
He said that members would implement all the safety tips and measures enumerated at the campaign.
“I always ensure my drivers are available whenever opportunities like this come up so that they can be well-informed of the dangers of violating traffic rules and other information needed.
Reports say that FRSC deployed no fewer than 35,000 regular and special marshals and 736 patrol vehicles across the country for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.