The Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos Sector Command, on Tuesday began the 2024 “ember” months campaign in the state.

The campaign, organised in collaboration with Guinness Nigeria PLC, has as its theme, “Speak up Against dangerous driving: Crashes kill more passengers than drivers.’’

The state Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Kehinde Hamzat, said at the event that passengers’ indifference to reckless driving was among major contributory factors to road traffic crashes.

He said that empowering passengers with the right knowledge on road safety would help to reduce road traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

Mr Hamzat said that the initiative to empower passengers was part of the command’s revised public education strategy, with dynamic approaches.

He said that the approaches aimed not only to enhance the road transportation sector by changing drivers’ behaviour, but also position Nigeria as a safety-conscious nation in the global community.

The sector commander urged relevant stakeholders to work with the corps to address road carnage.

He said, “These approaches include mega town hall meetings, motorcades, transit, rest areas, and loading bays advocacy. This strategy arose from the need to engage passengers and encourage them to assert their rights, thereby curbing drivers’ excesses. It is on record that more passengers are killed in road traffic crashes than drivers, hence the need to take up the responsibility of being more vigilant while in transit.’’

The sector commander said that to implement the approaches, the FRSC was focusing on re-educating passengers and helping them to understand their rights.

He noted, “The agreement between the driver and the passenger is clear, and that is that the driver must ensure the passenger reaches his or her destination safely. Passengers have a right not to be injured, killed, harassed, or have their rights violated.’’

Mr Hamzat disclosed that the corps marshal had directed all commands nationwide to actively engage commuters, ensuring they are familiar with safety regulations, report reckless driving, use seatbelts, and support responsible driving.

He urged passengers to avoid distractions and contribute to road safety as they were oftentimes the most affected in the event of road crashes.

He stated, “You are all aware that the ember months mark a time when Nigerians travel extensively across the country due to the season’s significance, which provides opportunities for family reunions, festivals, meetings, and ceremonies. As a result, our roads typically experience heavy traffic, congestion, road crashes, and regrettably, the loss of lives and property. This situation is worsened by the reckless behaviours of some motorists, creating a distressing environment for travellers, government agencies, and stakeholders, including the FRSC. In the light of this, the corps has intensified its efforts to ensure smooth traffic flow, reduce road crashes, and create a safer motoring environment nationwide.’’

Mr Hamzat said that motorists were expected to take full responsibility of their actions and inactions on the road by maintaining their vehicles, obeying traffic laws, and complying with other road regulations.

He stated, “We must take proactive steps to provide hope, not fear, when using our roads as the consequences of our actions or inactions will be severe if we fail to address these challenges.

Similarly,  a representative of Guinness Nigeria PLC, Rotimi Odusola, said that the theme of the day emphasised the fact that more commuters and innocent bystanders suffer from irresponsible driving.

According to Mr Odusola, it is now imperative to advocate the call of non-drinking while driving to ensure that this trend is curbed.

He added, “We have always had a rich relationship with the FRSC around raising awareness on mixing the consumption of alcohol while driving, and we are committed to embarking on more with them. In taking alcohol, we should be responsible in doing so, but if you are going to operate a vehicle, please do not consume at all.”

(NAN)