October 26, 2017

The FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Gora Wobin, on Wednesday called for attitudinal change among motorists and pedestrians to stem road accidents in the country.

Wobin made the call at the launch of the 10th edition of the “Don’t Drink and Drive’’ campaign of Nigerian Breweries (NB) in collaboration with the FRSC in Abuja.

He said dangerous driving remained rampant in the FCT in spite of efforts by the corps to check the menace.

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“What has eaten deep into a number of us in Nigeria today, especially in the FCT, is using phone while driving, beating traffic light, taking one-way and route violation.

“These critical offences amount to dangerous driving. Anybody that takes one-way or beats traffic light is already a dangerous driver.

“All these gadgets in the vehicles are not there for fun; how many of you use the seat belt, whether as a passenger or as a driver?

“We must ensure that most of the safety gadgets in our vehicles are put to proper use.’’

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Wobin also said that the “Don’t Drink and Drive’’ campaign was part of the public education programmes of the FRSC designed to address the situation.

He said the campaign would see the massive deployment of FRSC personnel across the FCT on education, enlightenment and enforcement of traffic rules and regulations within the period.

The sector commander also decried the non-use of foot bridges by pedestrians in the territory, calling on the FCT Administration to raise special courts to prosecute offenders.

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“Pedestrians ought to use the foot bridges constructed by government for them. We have seen cases where people are knocked down and it doesn’t tell well of us.

“Anybody who refuses to use the pedestrian bridges, (if there is an accident), it is either you have one leg cut off or are (killed) put six feet deep.

“We need to talk to people and that is why we have devoted more of our time to going to churches, mosques, community town hall meetings to educate most of these motorists.

“Even though we don’t have it captured in our offences, if FCT would set up mobile courts to try people as it is done in Lagos, people will learn to use the pedestrian bridges’’

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