In a bid to improve safety standards on Nigerian highways, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned against flatbed trailers carrying containers without proper latching.
The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, decried the carriage of the containers as a threat to lives and properties especially when they fall on the highways, which leads to unnecessary obstruction and causes undue hardship to motorists.
In a press statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem said the FRSC boss ordered the impoundment of such vehicles by patrol teams.
According to Bisi, the Corps has secured a partnership with the Nigerian Ports Authority to ensure that vehicles with no proper latching are prevented from leaving the ports in the first instance, unless on the condition of full compliance with the latching and with other maximum safety standards.
It would be recalled that in 2013, research on road traffic accidents by Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute indicated Nigeria ranked second in the highest rate of road accidents out of 193 nations in the world. World Health Organization reported that road traffic fatalities in Nigeria kill an estimated 21 out of every 100,000 people. From October 2017 to March 2018, 2,598 people died due to road crashes in Nigeria according to a report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Meanwhile, the number of death caused by fallen containers have continued to rise in the country. Citing instances, for the past three years, Lagosians have recorded a huge loss of lives emanating from death related to containers falling off from the bed of trucks. Such death has continued unabated despite cries by many Nigerians especially those living around the ports environment.
In this regard, the corps has made a move in ensuring road users and motorists are not at risk while on the highways. However, impounding defaulters is just one of the ways to improving safety standards on Nigeria highways with others including improved road safety education, increased personal responsibility, proper safety measures placement of fines, among others.
To achieve the above, there is the need for human capacity development of traffic and safety law enforcement officers, accident investigation and reconstruction, with punishments and penalties imposed on owners as well as drivers who default.
In addition, there must be driver training and re-training as well as an improved insurance policy that will deter the current impunity towards victims and obedience to road safety rules and regulations.
By Ahmed Iyanda.
