THE Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Corps Commander Fredrick Ogidan, has attributed over 70 percent of accidents, otherwise known as Road Traffic Crashes (RTC), to human factors.
Ogidan, while hanging out with Journalists in Asaba at the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Delta State Council, explained that road traffic crashes, unlike accidents, were avoidable if only motorists could plan against them.
He said hitting the road without proper checks on vehicles, especially the tyres and brake system; driving without adequate training, certification and license, drunk driving, overloading, night driving without a good lighting system, among other factors, were potential causes of crashes.
The FRSC Sector Commander, who assumed duty in the state about a month ago, pointed out that the para-military agency, whose core mandate was road traffic management, was deeply concerned about the recklessness of some motorists on Nigerian roads and remains committed to changing the narrative in order to reduce crashes to the barest minimum.
He explained that the FRSC in Delta State had been consistent with sensitization campaigns at motor parks and fleet loading bays, to preach safety to the drivers, stressing that the Corps was interested in every road user arriving at his or her destination safe and alive and would continue to work hard to achieve that.
Ogidan said besides preventive measures, the Corps was also taking response to injured crash victims very seriously, and working on the possibility of arriving at crash scenes within ten minutes of receiving distress calls to evacuate victims to the nearest medical facility and follow up on their conditions afterwards.
The Sector Commander added that clearing the roads of obstructions at crash scenes or by broken down vehicles was another area the Corps had recorded a huge success using its heavy duty tow truck.
Ogidan spoke on the alleged involvement of some officers of the Corps in corrupt practices and warned that anyone caught would be summarily dismissed.
He thanked the media for their support for the FRSC in the state and solicited a more robust collaboration with the agency in the area of sensitization, especially in the ember months.
Earlier, the Chairman, NUJ, Delta State Council, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, said the hangout with the FRSC boss was to afford him the opportunity to speak on the activities of his command and more importantly the plans for greater safety on the roads, especially in the ember months.
Oyowe commended the FRSC in the state for the effective way it was going about its mandate and urged the new Sector Commander to intensify efforts at reducing crashes on the roads.
