By Gami Tadanyigbe
GreenLight Initiative, a Non-Governmental organisation, NGO, has called on motorists especially Public Transport Drivers to avoid over speeding and distracted driving to reduce road crashes in the country.
Mr Simon Patrick Obi, the Executive Director of the group, made the call during a One Day Road Safety Sensitisation Workshop for Public Motor Drivers at Nyanya Motor Parks in Abuja.
According to him, the safety workshop with the theme titled “Speeding and Distracted Driving” was aimed at improving safety on Nigerian roads through evidence-backed interventions and awareness for motorists.
Obi said the number of road traffic deaths from global perspective has increased to 1.35 million annually, saying there is need to reduce the carnage through preventive measures and awareness.
He said road crashes have killed more Nigerians than the violent Boko Haram group, adding that the task of ensuring safety on roads should not be left to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) alone.
“In Nigeria, dangerous driving, speeding and distracted driving account to over 50 per cent of crashes according to FRSC report, hence the need for continuous sensitisation on traffic safety.
“Greenlight Initiative is leading the campaign for safer road usage in Nigeria by implementing different advocacy, training and public enlightenment programs.
“The sensitisation workshops put together is to enlighten drivers on the safe use of the road and part of our efforts to reduce road traffic crashes to the barest minimum in Nigeria,” he said.
On his part, Mr Maxwell Okelede, the FRSC Nyanya Unit Command also warned motorists to stay clear of intoxicants and other hard drugs while driving to reduce road crashes in the country.
The Unit Commander identified some major causes of road crashes to be reckless driving, bad tyres, over loading and wrong overtaking among others.
However, he called on motorist to adhere strictly to FRSC traffic rules and regulations to reduce road crashes in the country.
Mallam Haruna Balla, speaking on behalf of other motorists, thanked the organisation and FRSC for the training programme and promised to use the knowledge acquired to reduce road crashes in the country.
