UN Global Road Safety Week: FRSC sensitises Gombe residents
UN Global Road Safety Week: FRSC sensitises Gombe residents
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has embarked on a week‐long sensitisation against overspeeding, to ensure safety among road users in Gombe State.
FRSC’s Sector Commander in Gombe, Ishaku Ibrahim, on Tuesday described excessive speeding as the major cause of road accidents in the state.
Ibrahim made the remark while briefing journalists in Lafiyawo in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
He stated that activities marking the Sixth United Nations Global Road Safety Week would involve major stakeholders like the traditional and religious leaders, road transport workers, motorists and the media.
Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, Ibrahim said that more than 1.3 million people died in road traffic accidents yearly, while one person dies every 24 seconds in such circumstance.
According to him, excessive speeding is at the core of road traffic injury problem, with one in three deaths on the roads in high-income countries attributed to speeding.
“It is estimated that 40 to 50 per cent of people drive above the speed limit, with one kilometre increase in speed resulting in four to five per cent in fatal crashes.”
Ibrahim said that the risk of death and injuries reduced considerably when speed was reduced, adding that low speed was important to having safer roads and reduction of mishaps on the highways.
He stated that places of worship, markets, motor parks and major streets would be visited in the course of the week-long programme, to ensure that everyone was carried along.
Ibrahim called on motorists to always abide by the road traffic rules.
“It is for our collective good as a people because crashes always result in injuries or deaths, which is not the essence of any journey,” the sector commander said.
On his part, Mr Moses Nnadi, Coordinator, Gombe State Special Marshal, noted that the programme presented an opportunity to create more awareness among motorists in the state.
Nnadi said he would mobilise his personnel to support the ongoing efforts on road safety campaigns, to ensure that road accidents were minimised, and to boost awareness on good road use.
He called on all stakeholders to support the agency to make the roads safer for users and to enhance successful journeys.
Our correspondent reports that the UN Global Safety Week, which is a biennial global campaign hosted by the WHO was first held in 2007.
The theme of this year’s edition is “Street for Life” and is expected to be held from May 17 to May 23, 2021.
