The Federal Road Safety (Corps) said it was targeting minimal Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) and zero fatality during 2022 ‘Ember Months’ as it commences nationwide end of the year campaign.

The FRSC Acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, announced the commencement of the ‘2022 ember months campaign at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Biu said the Corps had also deployed massive personnel to all strategic roads as part of the measures to achieve the target.

He said the press briefing had become necessary due to the tendency for drivers to overload their vehicles.

He said most drivers had the penchant for indulging in avoidable night trips, violating speed limits, committing lane indiscipline and disregarding other traffic rules and regulations.

The FRSC boss said these violations often heightened the spate and fatalities of RTCs within the period, thus questioning the capability of members of the Corps.

According to him, as part of efforts to deal with these challenges, the Corps came up with the idea of Ember Months Special Patrols and Mega Public Enlightenment rallies in Motor Parks.

“This involves massive deployment of personnel and logistics to motor parks for aggressive sensitisation.

“This is so particularly around identified black spots, for the containment of the perennial traffic gridlocks and the accompanying hazards,” he said.

The FRSC boss said this year, therefore, presented yet another challenge that the Corps had come out to tackle head-on with commitment and determination.

He said the Corps had put in place comprehensive measures to address the dreadful experience.

“Towards this year’s exercise, we embarked upon elaborate studies along the identified black spots to determine the immediate and remote causes of the gridlocks.

“We mobilised relevant stakeholders to collectively address the challenges and embark on public enlightenment programmes.

“The Corps also came up with the idea of enhancing patrol operations by ensuring massive deployment of personnel and logistics along the major highways.

“This is to minimise road crashes and achieve zero fatalities during the period,” he said.

Mr Biu said operational and educational activities were currently on course, adding that the Corps was giving it maximum supervision to ensure that the present momentum was sustained throughout the period and beyond.

He called on the motoring public to make the year 2022 ’ember’ months unique and crash-free by adhering strictly to road traffic regulations.

The theme of this year’s Ember Months campaign is, ‘Avoid Speeding, Overloading and Unsafe Tyres to Arrive Alive. 

(NAN)