Commuters have been advised to avoid behaviours that can jeopardize their safety on the roads.
The Cross River State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Innocent Etuk gave the advice during a sensitization programme in some motor parks in Calabar.
As part of the activities to mark this year’s Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitization Campaign, the FRSC has continued to beat the drum on safety practices on our roads.
As part of the campaign, the FRSC Cross River State Command in collaboration with other stakeholders took to the streets of Calabar with fliers, banners and public address system to sensitize commuters on the importance of safety while driving.
The Cross River State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Innocent Etuk said the essence of the sensitization programme is to educate drivers and Passengers on the need to take responsibility for their safety, in the interest of all.
“So to create awareness, the people have to take responsibility for their safety and avoid distracted driving so that the issue of overloading, use of phone while driving, issue of where Passengers are distracting the drivers should be avoided and also the drivers should drive with full concentration and obey traffic rules within this period so we can record the lowest and barest minimum the issues of road crashes this 2025 as compared to the one we had last year”.
The State Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, who was represented by Mrs. Juliet Etta, a Director in the Ministry, stated that the ministry considered it essential to partner with FRSC in the campaign, emphasizing the need for drivers to be cautious, especially around pupils and students commuting to school.
“The motorists the speed they are driving is the one causing accidents and the use of phone while driving, while driving you are making calls, you will not see the front so that’s the cause of all these accidents , so that’s why we came out here, I am here representing the Commissioner and supporting the road safety officials “.
A commercial driver, Mr. Moses Monday, commended the Federal Road Safety Corps for its ongoing efforts to educate drivers and passengers on safety measures, aimed at averting road crashes.
“They tell us to wear our seat belts and when we want to make calls , we should clear well and make our calls, yes Road Safety officials are doing well they , they create awareness for us”.
However, Mr. Praise Ukott, an intra-state commercial driver, suggested that the Corps should focus on fostering a better relationship between drivers and personnel to enhance communication while respecting everyone’s rights.
“Again what I will need to say is the booking aspect, we know what we are passing through in this government , that maintaining this vehicle is not all that easy and there are certain drivers on the way that are regular, today you come you book them, tomorrow you will book them, so they should think of a means whereby we the drivers would have a common understanding with the Road Safety “.
Other road users appealed to the Federal Road Safety Corps to assist motorists by advocating for improved road maintenance, clear signage, and adequate lighting at night to help prevent road crashes.
