The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Malam Shehu Mohammed, has urged passengers to exercise caution when boarding vehicles, especially during the festive season, to minimise the risk of road crashes.
Mohammed gave the warning in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO) Assistant Corps Marshal, (ACM), Olusegun Ogungbemide, on Saturday in Abuja.
The FRSC boss said that the warning had become necessary as the end of the year travels kept gathering expected momentum making the roads busier than they were in the previous months.
This, he said, had also become overly imperative in view of the recent crashes that occurred in Jebba, Kwara State on Dec. 26 and the other that happened on the Owo-Ikare route, before Ose bridge on Saturday.
The FRSC Corps Marshal, however, said that the advocacy and sensitisation campaigns had been stepped up adding that commuters needed to be at alert.
‘Be mindful of drivers who show signs of recklessness and drunkenness, before embarking on or during their journeys.
“We observed that the recorded road crashes that occurred during the period above were due to the negligence or recklessness of drivers.
“Other factors were also the inability of passengers to checkmate them, call them to order or even report them to FRSC or other security agencies along their routes.
“To mitigate this risk of preventable crashes on the nation’s highways, commuters are advised to exercise caution when boarding vehicles.
“They should be aware of their surroundings and always ensure that their drivers are not under any influence before or during the trips,”he said.
Mohammed emphasised that the safety of all road users was of utmost importance, urging commuters to take responsibility for their safety.
“This effort is to support all the necessary interventions that the Corps has put in place,” he maintained.
The FRSC boss highlighted some of the roles of the passengers which included but not limited to checking the driver’s behaviour and attitude before boarding, assessing the vehicle’s condition, including tires, brakes, and light system.
The FRSC Corps Marshal believed that commuters could significantly reduce their risks of being involved in road crashes by taking these simple precautions above.