FRSC: MOST ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY DRIVERS

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According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, or FRSC, driver irresponsibility is the primary cause of the majority of accidents on Nigerian roadways.

Cyril Mathew, the Corps’ Edo Sector Commander, said this during the “ember months” sensitization town hall meeting in Benin City.

According to Mathew, the promotion for “ember months” emphasizes on passengers because data indicates that they are more likely to die than drivers.

He said that the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, or NBS, records thousands of road traffic fatalities every year, with a large portion of those fatalities being passengers in commercial cars.

“The NBS statistic also said, approximately 63 per cent of all road traffic deaths involved passengers.

“Most of the accidents were the result from the negligence of the drivers who engaged in risky behaviours on the road thereby putting their passengers at significant risk.

“A study conducted by the FRSC revealed that in road traffic crashes involving commercial drivers, the chances of passengers sustaining serious injuries or fatalities are considerably higher than that of the drivers.

“This is often due to the design of the vehicle which tends to offer more protection to the driver due to safety features such as airbags among others. In contrast, passengers in poorly constructed vehicles lacked such safety features.

“Passengers were not able to influence the decision-making of the drivers thereby leaving the passengers vulnerable to the consequences of their dangerous driving action,” he said.

He said the town hall meeting was held to educate passengers about the fact that they suffer more when a car carrying a lot of people is involved in an accident and that they should speak up rather than keep quiet to save their lives.

“Dangerous driving on the road includes, among other things, excessive speeding, driving without following traffic lights, driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other substance, and distracting driving, such as making calls, smoking, or eating while driving,” the Sector Commander said.

He asked drivers to follow traffic laws and regulations to ensure a safe arrival at their destinations.