The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says using mobile phone while driving is unsafe and can endanger the lives of other road users.
Mr Bamidele Ayanwale, FRSC Unit Commander in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra, made the assertion while delivering a lecture at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) in Awka on Tuesday.
The programme was organised by the Department of Religion and Human Relations, Faculty of Art, NAU, to honour the final year students.
Ayanwale, represented by Mr Chinedu Okonkwo from Oraifite Command, said that the FRSC Establishment Act 2007, Section 10 (4), prohibits the use of phones while driving for obvious reasons.
According to him, the use of phones while driving has been identified as one of the major causes of road crashes, injuries and deaths in recent time.
“No message or call is as important as your life and what that means is that all messages or calls can wait.
”So many drivers and innocent people have died owing to distraction from the use of phones while driving.
“If you receive a call or message while you are driving, the best thing to do is to pull over safely and answer the call if you feel it is very important.
“If you don’t pull over to answer that call, you will be distracted. You can look away from control of the vehicle and crash or ram into other vehicles or hit pedestrians.
“Use of mobile phones while driving has remained a growing concern to safety on Nigerian roads which is why we advise motorists to always obey the FRSC officials and traffic rules and regulations at all times,” Ayanwale said.
The road safety official also urged motorists to avoid speeding and drinking of alcohol while driving, stating that these were factors responsible for road accidents.
He called on the outgoing students to be change agents and ambassadors of road safety in their communities by passing the message to the public.
In his remarks, Dr Anayo Ossai, Staff Adviser of the department, advised the outgoing students to utilise the training acquired from the school to become self employed and self reliant.
“No time to lazy around and stay unemployed, with your training and knowledge, acquire more skill to be useful to yourself and the society,” Ossai said.
The programme featured an award ceremony where Ayanwale, was recognised for his outstanding efforts at ensuring safety on Anambra roads.