The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has signed on to the United Nations (UN) Second Decade of Action for Road Safety to address the increasing rate of road crashes across the country.
The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, gave the hint at a one-day workshop organised for Sector Heads of Drivers Licence Centres on Tuesday in Abuja.
Oyeyemi said that the UN second decade of action for road safety (2021-2030) was a continuation of the first decade of action for road safety (2010-2020).
He however said that there was an increase in road traffic crashes globally at the end of the first decade of action.
According to him, it was observed that at the beginning of 2010, the first decade of action for the road safety, the fatality rate of road traffic crashes was 1.2 million deaths globally.
“But at the end of the decade, when the review was done, the fatality rate increased to 1.35 million globally.
“This shows that with all the efforts put in place globally, road traffic crashes still remains a pandemic.
“It was a critical matter that needed to be addressed, hence, there was an initial fusion of the remaining part of the first decade with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
“I think in the wisdom of the UN, with this increase in fatality, there is still the need to address this global concern, hence the second decade of action for road safety 2021 to 2030, ” he said.
Oyeyemi said that although the declaration was made in August 2020, the focus which included road safety management, safer road, safer vehicle, safer pedestrian and post crash remained the same.
He added that the same target was to reduce crashes by 50 per cent, noting that the key issue was for member states to make concerted efforts and use the instruments required, like the drivers license.
The FRSC boss explained that the Nigerian drivers licence was not just a permit, or authorisation to drive a motor vehicle on Nigeria roads, but also a highly valued security document.
“This means that only certified drivers can drive and also ensure that only road worthy vehicles are on the road,” he said.
The corps marshal also said that in terms of infrastructure, there need to ensure that the roads were properly constructed and safe.
Meanwhile, Mr Ibrahim Sannoh, Executive Director, Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), has commended the FRSC for the measures taken in curbing road traffic crashes in Nigeria.
Sannoh said that the SLRSA was looking forward to adopting same measures to curtail road crashes in Sierra Leone, hence the visit to the FRSC headquarters.
He noted that the SLRSA would ensure that its relationship with FRSC yielded more positive results, and added that the country was set to have its first electronic driver’s licence biometric.
“We have gone through the FRSC website and that has made us achieve what we have been able to achieve so far. I must commend the corps marshal for making FRSC worthy of emulation.
“This has also enabled the authority to focus primarily on effective road safety management, without abandoning the original core functions,” he said.
He listed the functions to include registering and licensing of drivers, motor vehicles and enforcing road safety. (NAN)
