The Federal Road Safety Corps has decried the increasing number of auto crashes in the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State.
The corps added that the fatalities recorded in the crashes were worrisome.
Speaking during the launch of “Special Intervention Patrol” on Monday in Abuja, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RS7, Assistant Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, noted that the belief by some drivers that they were immune to crashes had contributed to the increasing rate of accidents.
Mohammed said the special intervention patrol, which would hold between February and November, was meant to reduce crashes to the barest minimum.
He said, “The occurrence of road traffic crashes with high fatality, recorded along the FCT and Niger State is worrisome.
“The essence is to inculcate a transformed motorist’s behaviour to develop attitudinal change towards safe motoring culture.
“The zone commenced the special intervention patrol to address the fatality rate in crashes because despite the strategies adopted to stem the tide, RTCs were still increasing.”
He noted that data had shown that the fatality rate of RTC stood at 1:3, meaning that for every three RTCs, there was one death; and that was unacceptable to the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi.
He added, “In that vein, we decided to initiate a special intervention patrol, and it is going to be in two folds.
“One is the enforcement patrol, where more than one team will come together to make a squad patrol, and secondly, there will be aggressive public enlightenment and campaign.
“We would also be frowning seriously at some offences like excess speed and vehicles without speed limiting devices.
“Some drivers have psychological or traditional beliefs that they were immune to traffic accidents or crashes. I want you all to know that no human being is immune to RTC.
“To be good citizens of Nigeria, drivers should abide by the traffic rules to contain the menace of RTC in this zone RS7.”
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