By Robert Mbeyi
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Imo State Sector Command has cautioned motor vehicle drivers within the state to stop and park to answer phone calls as driving and answering calls attracts a fine of N20,000 on the spot when apprehended and booked.
The Sector Commander, H.B Halilu (CC) gave the warning in his office along Egbu Owerri Road while commenting on a number of road safety measures being put in place to forestall avoidable road mishaps.
Because one form of eye defect or the other occasionally causes road accidents killing the driver and his passengers or pedestrians who happen to be around the accident scene, the command now has an eye testing equipment which certifies that an applicant for a driving licence has no incapacitating eye problems.
Another significant step taken by the command to sanitize road habits is the resuscitation of the culture of passing through reputable driving schools to acquire driving licence. To this end, it has certified and accredited three private driving schools in the state. These areABCTransportDriversTraineesAcademy, Eddison andPublicDrivingSchoolswith twelve others yet to be certified and accredited.
On road accidents and the casualty figures, the sector commander disclosed that between the months of June and August this year, the command recorded a total of 93 road accidents. Of these, 14 were fatal with 226 injured and 16 dead.
The command is always on hand to sanitize road usage along the ever busy Owerri/Onitsha expressway. Its unit atNjabaRiverabout 20 kilometres from Owerri enforces traffic regulations along the busy highway. However other safety related issues like the provision of pedestrian overhead crossing points, zebra crossings and sign posts are the responsibility of the appropriate federal government agency. The command does not go beyond enlightenment campaigns on correct and wrong road habits.
Occasionally, the road safety campaign is carried right into commercial vehicles loading bays to warm the drivers of the fatal consequences of ignoring the Highway Code. The campaign covers driving without trafficators, seat belts, rear and side mirrors, break lights and headlights. Generally, emphasis is on driving with worn out or expired tires, over speeding, wrong parking and overtaking along dangerous spots.
The sector commander blamed the travelling public for much of the loss of lives on the highways. Many do not object to drivers phoning while on the steering or when they tend to be too rough ignoring the right of other road users. More importantly, he insisted that commuters should not board vehicles that are visibly road unworthy.
He also reminded vehicle drivers not to drive while drunk because too much alcohol impairs the vision and one’s ability to assess situations and how to react to them promptly.
Shortly after it came on board, officers of the FRSC were applauded as the only uniformed establishment which refuses inducement while on duty. These days, the glorious past is now a memory. The virus from other uniformed establishments notably the Nigeria Police has contaminated some of its staff. A number of them were being arrested while on duty with large amount of cash they could not satisfactorily explain how they came about it. Such officers were arrested, tried and the guilty ones dismissed. For the three months the Sector Commander came on board, there have been no such arrest.
