The Unit Commander of Nsukka chapter of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Uche Okolie, on Friday, blamed 80% of road accidents on human factors.
Okolie enjoined motorists to avoid overspeeding, and intake of alcohol during or before driving to reduce road mishaps during the Yuletide celebrations.
She made the call during the 2023 Ember Months Zero Operation Flag-off at Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State to sensitize and educate motorists and other road users in the area on safety tips.
While discussing the theme of the sensitisation programme titled “Excessive Speeding Thrills but Kills, Drive Responsibly and Avoid Over-speeding,” the Commander said that studies had shown that over-speeding, alcohol intake and other human factors contributed 80 per cent of total Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) in the country.
“Human , environmental and mechanical factors are the three main causes of road crashes.
“Among these three, human factors like over-speeding, taking of excessive alcohol, reckless driving and others contributes 80 per cent of RTC.
“To reduce the number of road crashes to barest minimum, the temptations of over-speeding should be avoided because it kills, it is responsible for majority of accidents in our roads,” she said.
Okolie explained that, FRSC had been holding park rallies, public enlightenment at petrol stations, free education and training of drivers as well as going to churches and mosques for advocacy, aimed at reducing road crashes.
“Because of this commitment by FRSC in Enugu State, in third quarter of 2022 road traffic crashes in the state was 159 whereas by third quarter of this year 2023, road crashes dropped to 59.
In Nsukka area, RTC in third quarter of 2022 was 19 crashes and in third quarter of this year, it dropped to seven.
“This shows a serious reduction as result of education and sensitisation of motorists by FRSC in Enugu State.
“We have been telling drivers to avoid taking drugs or alcohol before or during driving so as to reach their destinations with their passengers safely.
“We also advise them to ensure that their vehicles are road-worthy before embarking on any journey, by checking their tyres, brakes, and other things that can cause accidents on the road,”she said.
According to the Commander, officers and men would be deployed in major roads and highways in the area during the Yuletide to ensure that motorists obeyed road traffic rules and regulations.
“We will not hesitate to impound any driver’s vehicle found over-speeding, driving recklessly or with vehicle that is not road worthy,” she said.
Okolie commended Mr Sokunbi Adeyemi, Enugu State Sector Commander of FRSC, for his commitment in the welfare of workers as well as his efforts towards achieving zero TRC in the state
While making his remarks, Chief Emeka Ugwuede, Vice Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in Nsukka Local Government Area, commended the corps for the event and assured that commercial drivers in the area would continue to abide by all traffic rules and regulations to ensure safety on the road.
In a remark, Chief Walter Ozioko the Chairman, Nsukka LG chairman who was represented by the Vice-chairman Mr Sylvester Asogwa , urged drivers to always abide by the traffic rules for their safety as well as their passengers.
Ozioko assured that the council would continue to collaborate and assist FRSC to achieve its vision of zero crash on the road.
“I commend men and Officers of FRSC for their dedication to duty, statistics available in the state has shown serious reduction in road crashes,”he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Ezichi Ituma, Coordinator, FRSC Special Marshal, in Nsukka urged drivers to avoid over speeding, as well as advised passengers to always call drives to order whenever they are over speeding.
Ituma advised passengers to disembark from the vehicle if the driver failed to heed their advice and report such driver to appropriate authorities for sanction.
Mr. Hassan Yahaya, Commander Nsukka Police Area Command, His Royal Highness, Igwe Emeka Ugwu, the Traditional Ruler of Owere Nsukka Community were among dignitaries present during the occasion.
