Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has assured that he will not relent in providing the enabling environment for the safety of every road user.
Governor Fubara gave the assurance on Thursday in Port Harcourt while delivering a keynote address during a town hall meeting with stakeholders on road traffic administration and safety management.
The meeting, organized by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Rivers Sector Command, is part of FRSC 2024 Ember Month Road Safety Campaign Flag-off in Rivers State with the theme ‘Speak-out Against Dangerous Driving: Crashes Kill More Passengers Than Drivers’.
The Governor, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet, in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Hamilton Amadi, emphasized that it was necessary to realize the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to promote road safety, create safe, inclusive and sustainable streets worldwide.
He observed that in order to achieve the Decade for Road Safety; there is a need for the FRSC to ensure stricter enforcement of traffic codes to keep the roads safe for all users.
He said: “The escalation of road crashes, and its toll on lives and properties during the “Ember” months calls for drastic and urgent actions to prevent a preventable health, social and economic burden resulting from the prevalence of such crashes. Road crash is dubbed the silent pandemic by the United Nations.
“It is only when we work together to create an environment where every journey is safe, that we can truly say, we spoke out against road mishaps. Let us join our hands together, and say no to road accidents these ‘Ember’ months and beyond.”
He acknowledged that many accident scenarios have ripple effects as “…lives are lost, properties are destroyed, hopes are shattered, and the nation loses out. This year’s campaign is therefore apt, and in line with the theme, it demands our collective action to ‘Speak-out Against Dangerous Driving: Crashes Kill More Passengers than Drivers.
“There is no better approach to combat the menace of road crashes than this advocacy meeting—a behavioural change initiative to speak out against over-speeding, drink-driving, phoning/texting while driving, dangerous overtaking, use of worn-out tyres, blatant disregard for road signs, overloading, carelessness, non-use of seat belts and non-compliance to Highway codes. Yes, this is another time for us to speak out so that our roads shall be safe for everyone of us,” he added.
The Sector Commander, Rivers Sector Command, CC Inyang Umoh, said the FRSC believes in the efficacy of public enlightenment as a significant tool for changing peoples’ attitude on issues of road safety. This belief, according to him, is premised on the ground that if people are made to realize the implications of their actions, they would be persuaded to avoid doing the avoidable.
According to him, “The challenge in sharing the roads with others is enormous but not insurmountable, if simple traffic rules and regulations are obliged to. The choice of this year’s campaign themed “Speak Up Against Dangerous Driving; Crashes Kill More Passengers than Drivers” is a deliberate attempt by the Federal Road Safety Corps to tackle the issues as highlighted.
“The need for Passengers to speak up against dangerous driving cannot be overemphasized, first for their own safety and also because they have a role in saving their own lives.
“Dangerous driving includes behaviors such as sudden braking, over speeding, overtaking dangerously, drunk driving, driving against traffic etc. Imagine yourself seating in a vehicle at a speed of 100km/pH driving against traffic along Port Harcourt Aba expressway and an articulated vehicle happens to be just ahead of you, well, your guess should be as good as mine,” he said.
He further disclosed that dangerous driving is the current common enemy of Nigerians, accounting for over 40% of road crashes in the country.
“The federal Road Safety Corps and the National Bureau of Statistics report that in the first quarter of 2024, there were 3,952 vehicles involved in road traffic crashes, which resulted in 1,471 deaths and 8,659 injuries.
“If we must arrive alive from all our journeys, be it short or long distance, within or interstate, we must as from now on develop a positive attitude change to reflect acceptable road safety culture and to always apply common sense driving speed”, he stressed.
The event was attended by diverse stakeholders in the road, security, works and traffic sectors.