The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Katsina State, has attributed high rates of road crashes on highways to low level of literacy among motorists.
Mr Ali Tanimu, the Sector Commander stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Katsina.
He said that most drivers do not understand the Highway Code.
‘’They either don’t buy them or they do not care to read and understand it. Most of the crashes are avoidable if the motorists will abide by the laid down traffic rules and regulations,’’ he said.
The sector commander said that most drivers don’t know where to overtake, thereby causing accidents on the highways.
‘’Due to the nature of our roads, some drivers overtake on a bridge, sharp bends or hilly areas where they cannot see far distance.
‘’In most cases, what will happen is either the vehicle will jump into the bridge or it will have a head-on collision with another vehicle,’’ he said.
Tanimu further said that making phone calls while driving also contributes to high rates of accidents on highways.
‘’Some of the drivers even went to the extent of checking or writing SMS text messages while driving, and the worst part of it, is that the passengers will just keep quiet,’’ he said.
The sector commander revealed that some drivers mix and overloads human beings with animals or goods, and drive on high speed.
According to him, in such circumstances, when there is an accident, it will be a fatal, and advised drivers not exceed 100 speed limits for safety of passengers.
‘’If you want to travel far, you should have to start the journey in good time to avoid overspending.”
The sector commander further urged motorists to ensure that their vehicles have good head lamps if they want to travel in the night; good tyres and no mechanical fault.
He explained that all those were contained in the code, as such drivers should endeavour to study it.
Tanimu also urged passengers not to be passive; take registration number of vehicle they boarded, so that they can report the driver to the nearest security check point in case of reckless driving for prompt action.
He added that the FRSC would continue to enlighten motorists on road safety to reduce fatalities during road accidents. (NAN)
