Nigerians are being urged by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to abide by traffic laws and regulations in order to help lower the startlingly high number of traffic accidents.
The FRSC spokesman, Olusegun Ogungbemide, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that public support and cooperation were essential in ensuring a safe and secured motoring environment.
Ogungbemide, who expressed concern over the high rate of casualties on Nigerian roads, attributed it to impunity and disregard for traffic laws.
He disclosed that the corps had recorded a high number of crashes and fatalities resulting from reckless driving, overloading, and mix loading.
He also said that advanced countries being celebrated for their development did not achieve their status without the support and cooperation of their citizens.
He noted that these countries have well-developed systems and laws in place, which were strictly enforced and complied with by their citizens.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to replicate the same level of development and safety on its roads with citizens complying with traffic laws and regulations.
Ogungbemide also said that compliance with traffic laws was crucial in preventing crashes and saving lives, emphasizing that the laws were in place to ensure harmony, security, and safety for all.
According to him, the advanced country we are celebrating today or the western country we are celebrating today didn’t just get to where they are without the support of the public.
“Any society where the laws prevail is with the support of the general public, because when the laws are there and they are not being complied with, we have a chaotic situation where there are no rules.
“We need the support of the members of the public to do the right thing. It brings about harmony in the system and security and safety for all.
“On an annual basis, we lose lots of people that hitherto would have been saved if we did the right thing as members of the public,” he said.
The FRSC spokesman also cautioned against “mix loading” and overloading, which he said could lead to crashes and fatalities.
“The laws are there; let us take our time to comply with them and not to shortchange them. Lives are very precious, no matter how cheap we think it is.
“Let’s try as much as we can to abide by the laws to do the right thing so that all those western countries we envy can replicate the same thing here.
