Global Road Safety week: FRSC records 5,949 bookings in Edo

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edo Sector Command, says that no fewer than 5,949 offences were committed by motorists in the state between January and April.

Edo Sector Commander Henry Benamaisia made the disclosure on Wednesday in Benin while briefing newsmen on commemoration of the week-long 2021 UN Global Road Safety week.

Benamaisia said that the command in commemorating the week would focus on `excessive’ speed, overloading, dangerous driving, use of cell phones while driving, lane indiscipline and compliance with COVID-19 protocol.

He said that this was because records of the booking between January and April showed that of the 5,949 offences booked, 76 bookings accounted for overloading.

“The command also recorded 604 bookings for failure to install speed limiting devices, 35 bookings for using phones while driving and three bookings for dangerous driving.

He also disclosed that within the period, the command arrested no fewer than 4,371 traffic offenders.

“Within the period too, we have recorded 48 crashes with 70 persons killed and 204 persons injured,’’ he said.

The sector commander also disclosed that the command identified indiscipline, intolerance and impatience (3i’s) among motorists as the major risk factors in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in the state.

He, however, said that if those risk factors were taken into consideration and avoided by the motoring public, Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) would be reduced to its barest minimum in the state.

Disclosing that the 2021 theme of the 6th edition is “Street for Life” with emphasis on reduction of speed, he explained that the UN estimated that an average of 1.3 million persons die in RTC annually.

He added that the report indicated that by 2030, if nothing was done, this would increase.

He said that in view of this, the UN projected that RTC should be halved or reduced to 50 per cent by 2030.

The sector commander said that in light of this, the speed limit for vehicles in built up areas such as cities, towns, and villages should be limited to 30 kilometers per hour to avoid RTC.

He stressed that the command under the directives of FRSC headquarters as part of the global community, would also carry out advocacy visits to some stakeholders, such as the NURTW, RTEAN, ACOMORAN, and parks.

He said the awareness would be done through media talks on speed limits on radio and television programmes.

“There will be visitation to hospitals by stakeholders and special marshals. There will be Jumat Prayer, Church Service, public enlightenment and free vehicles’ safety checks,’’ Benamaisia said.