The Kwara State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, on Monday, November 15, 2021, said no fewer than 96 persons died in the 72 road crashes recorded in September and October in the state.
The commission attributed most of the crashes to the wrong attitude and bad orientation of the motoring public.
Jonathan Owoade, the Kwara State Sector Commander of FRSC, stated this in Ilorin, the state capital on the sideline of events commemorating road traffic crash victims’ day.
Owoade identified impatience, wrongful overtaking, night driving, use of phones while driving, and overspeeding as causes of major accidents on Kwara Roads.
The FRSC boss noted that Nigerians comply with and obey traffic rules and regulations outside the country.
Owoade said: “Crashes do not happen on their own. They are caused by our wrong attitude and wrong perception among drivers most of the time. People should give right of way, even when another driver has taken a wrong way. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Most people who claim right are in graveyards.
“However, the enforcement of right attitude is made difficult by some offenders who say ‘I have a super brother. I’m connected.’ That attitude informed the wrong attitude to traffic rules among some drivers in the country.
“If people are made to face the wrath of the law, the incidents would be reduced. Like when you arrest some offenders, you will then be receiving calls from high places and prominent personalities seeking assistance. That’s not encouraging.
“We encourage people to reduce their speed to 30 kilometres per hour in built-up areas and in the town to avoid knock down and ensure proper traffic management. We have had occasions where people knock down school children, cyclists etc. It’s easier and safer to manoeuvre vehicles to a stop when at low speed.
“We should plan our journey ahead of time and not be in a hurry, because one may not expect what could confront one on the journey. Those who are in a hurry either land in hospital and become vegetables thereafter or no more. We should take life easy. Easy does it.”
The sector commander also advised commercial vehicle drivers to ensure lane discipline by being on the service lane and not spreading themselves across the roadway, saying that the habit usually caused road accidents as oncoming vehicles may not be able to apply the brakes to avoid a collision.
Source: The Nation
