Crash: Provision of accurate, reliable data will enhance safety on roads — FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ondo State Command, has called on motorists to always provide accurate and reliable data to enhance the safety on the highways.

Mr Ezekiel SonAllah, State Sector Commander of FRSC, made the call on Monday in Akure during a public enlightenment to mark the West Africa Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) Day.

The theme of the 2023 WARSO Day celebration is “Improving Road Safety Data Management: A Call For Action”.

SonAllah, who explained that celebration of the  WARSO day was an annual event, said that the executive committee of WARSO chose May 8 for the 2023 celebration during its resolution held in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on April 2023.

According to him, as long as road crashes continue to be on the rise, understanding the cause of accidents and how to prevent them will continue to be increasingly important.

“There is a need for accurate and reliable road safety data because without good data, it is a great challenge to identify patterns, trends and make informed decision about road safety policies and practices.

“Crash investigations play a critical role in providing valuable insight into the events leading up to a crash and identifying contributing factors.

“So, through collaboration and data sharing, we can uncover valuable insights that can lead to more effective road safety policies and practices,” he said.

The FRSC sector commander, who called on relevant stakeholders to join hands with the corps to provide accurate data, said that this would help in prioritising decision making and work towards creating safer roads for all.

“With a continued commitment to this effort, we can make considerable progress in improving road safety and reducing the number of collisions on our roads thereby saving lives,” he said.

Mr Tobi Ogunleye, Special Adviser to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Transport, who was represented by Mr Alaba Adeleye, Director of Vehicle Inspection Service in the state, charged motorists to always imbibe the road safety culture while they are on the wheels.

Ogunleye said that if the motorists could collaborate with the relevant stakeholders, issues of crashes on highways would be minimal.

According to him, when we look at the crashes on our roads there is something we need to do for the betterment of our road users.

” Our motorists need to adopt the ways and manners women imbibe safety on the roads because hardly do women get involved in road accident if compare with their  male counterpart.

“There are lessons to learn from women because women will never drive bad or faulty vehicles, never drive without licence, and neither will they drink beer while on wheel,” he said.

Mr Akinrinade Bashiru, Ajapada NURTW Branch Secretary in Ilesha Garage, Akure, who appreciated the corps for the programme, called on the FRSC and the government to provide road signs on highways to enhance safety and reduce accidents.

Also speaking, Mr Kareem Oluomo, Chairman Oloko NURTW Branch in Akure, attributed causes of the accidents to fake spare parts and tyres.

He said that it was critical for FRSC and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to collaborate to ensure that fake spare parts were not stocked by auto parts traders. (