Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed what he thinks is responsible for most of the road crashes that occur in Nigeria.
The minister believes that reckless driving was responsible for most road accidents and not bad roads as many people erroneously postulate. He, therefore, called for a review of the highway codes to ensure stiffer penalty for road traffic offenders, which would help to reduce road traffic crashes and carnages on the highway.
Amaechi made this assertion in Abuja on Thursday at the Easter mega rally organized by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
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Amaechi went further to assure that the ministry and the FRSC would work together to ensure that the laws were reviewed.
He said when this is done, those who overload their vehicle, drive while drunk, or drive recklessly, will be more careful.
According to him, if a driver knows that he will go to jail if he drives recklessly, he will take caution.
‘It will be easy for the drivers to understand this when you tell them and that is why we are here today to ensure that we have a safe celebration now and beyond.
‘A situation whereby the law is reviewed and categorically states that when you overload your vehicle, drunk drive, or drive recklessly, you will be jailed, then, every driver will be conscious.
‘Most accidents you see today are not caused by bad roads but the recklessness of the drivers on the roads.
‘I want to urge all drivers to be cautious of not just them but the passengers they carry. Safety is paramount,’ he said.
The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, commended the transport unions for ensuring that vehicles were not overloaded from the parks, adding that the union had also help in observing the COVID-19 protocols.
Oyeyemi noted that the major problems the corps was facing at the moment were crashes at night, adding that 200 lives were lost in January alone.
He added that although the crashes had reduced, the corps was working towards reduction to the barest minimum in the second quarter of the year and even beyond.
Oyeyemi assured the public of the improvement of the corps by the second quarter, saying that FRSC would bring in more measures that would help the corps to an acceptable level.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK