FRSC, LASTMA Take Road Safety Campaign to Churches at Yuletide

Emma Okonji

In order to save the lives of motorists and other road users during the yuletide season, a combined team of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) has taken road safety campaign to churches, to remind God’s faithful of the need to save their lives and that of others, while driving.

According to the combined team, the campaign became necessary, following the rise of heavy vehicular movements, especially on the highways, during Yuletide seasons.

The team who spoke to parishioners at both the 6.30a.m. and 9a.m. masses at the church hall of St. Timothy Catholic Church Ojudu, Lagos sunday, called for effective use of roads during festivity periods like Christmas that is around the corner.

They said so many road users have lost their lives in the past during festivity periods, either through carelessness or by refusal to obey highway traffic codes, and cautioned all road users to always consider their safety and that of others, while on the road, by driving within the specified speed limits and by adhering to all highway traffic codes.

The Assistant Route Commander, FRSC Lagos Command, Tomi Mala, insisted that road safety must be seen as everybody’s business and advised that churches should help to spread the campaign on road safety this yuletide.

Mala listed three main factors of road crashes to include human factor, which she puts at 85 per cent of all road accidents; environmental factor, which she puts at 10 per cent and mechanical factor, which she puts at mere 5 per cent. She therefore stressed on the need for road users to avoid all cases of human factor-led accidents and make the roads safe for all road users. Some of the human factors according to her, included over speeding, driving under fatigue and under the influence of alcohol and drugs, receiving and making calls while driving, sending text messages while driving, refusal to use seat belts, walking on major roads while backing traffic flow, among others. She also listed environmental factors to include bad roads and mechanical factors to include brake failures, and over inflation of tyres and the use of old and weak tyres, among others.

Principal Law Enforcement Agent, Traffic, at LASTMA, Oladimeji Falana, called on road users to ensure they understand highway driving codes, obey traffic lights, and zebra crossing signs, while on the road, in order to save lives of all road users. He explained the roles of different road traffic officers like the Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), the Police, FRSC and LASTMA, but clarified that each of them work for the common good and safety of all road users.

Highlight of the campaign was the projection of recorded video clips, showing different road crashes, and their causes.

Related Articles