CRASH REDUCTION AND GLOBAL RECOGNITION: A SUMMARY OF FRSC’S LEARNING CURVE. By Adakoriko Adaviriku Dumaza
The Citizens’ concerns in 1976 regarding road traffic crashes where well over 40,881 crashes were recorded in the year alone, at a period vehicular movement was at its lowest, Professor Wole Soyinka (founder of the Federal Road Safety Corps) was moved to describe the conditions of Nigerian roads as a ‘slaughter slab’ in one of his documentaries.
This record, in 1988, challenged him and a few well meaning Nigerian Citizens to take a solid stand targeted at liberating their fatherland from the shackles of Road Traffic crashes.
The Professor went on to become the first Chairman of the Federal Road Safety Commission when it was established, under the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, the Military Head of State of the Country.
Having successfully introduced and implemented actionable plans and programmes to reduce crashes over the years from the humongous figures of 1976 under the supervision of different Corps Marshals over time, the FRSC represented Nigeria’s interest in the United Nations General Assembly proclamation of the Decade of Action (2011-2020) by ensuring that FRSC sticks religiously to the 5 Pillars of the Global Plan for member Nations of UN, namely: Road Safety Management, Safer Roads and Mobility, Safer Vehicles, Safer Road Use, Post Crash Care.
In a document titled United Nations Decade of Action Status Report, the Present Corps Marshal Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi wrote in his preface thus: “the Corps has achieved huge strides in touching all 5 Pillars of the action”.
He further stressed that the Nigerian Road Safety Strategy NRSS (2014-2018) provides a clear direction towards achieving the Country’s vision for road safety where road crashes result in no death.
Federal Road Safety Corps aligned itself to all UN Proclamations and Conventions, including the September 2020 UN General Assembly adoption of resolution A/RES/74/299 aimed at improving global Road Safety, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 with an improved target of reducing deaths and injuries in road crashes by 50% before 2030.
The organization also aligned itself by acceding to the UN road safety 1968 Convention on Road Traffic on 18 October 2019.
The overall target is the reduction of crashes and deaths on Nigerian Roads. According to reports, there were noticeable reductions from the statistics of crashes, injuries and deaths within 2018 and 2019.
FRSC coordinated special patrol operations codenamed TOWCO (Total War on Critical Offences), TOWOL (Total War on Overloading), Operation Cobra (targeted at addressing certain life-threatening traffic-related offences) which, when committed, earns offenders Emotional Stability test referrals in government established hospitals.
There also were the Safe to load programmes requiring deployment of trained officers to tank farms as safety managers (considering the rising rate of fire incidences amongst haulage operators conveying petroleum products); the Know your tyre Campaign which saw to the training of tyre mechanics and sensitization of the general public, and crackdown on fake Drivers Licenses.
The organization is very particular about licensing of drivers, hence the establishment of Driving School Standardization Programme which eradicates the possibility of obtaining fake licenses, and equally ensuring that drivers are trained in a detailed step-by-step approach by certified Driving Schools for a minimum period of 26 days as prequalification for obtaining the Drivers Licence.
A more viable process of ensuring crash reduction which the Federal Road Safety Corps places premium attention on is Public Enlightenment through routine and special Rallies, and the establishment of the National Traffic Radio whose thrust is to give detailed live update on states of the roads.
The result of the strategies put in place is reduction in the number of people killed in road traffic crashes in the 4th quarter of 2021 as 1,652 people died in 2021 4th quarter as against 1,818 people who died in 2020 4th quarter.
However there is still room for improvement for the Federal Road Safety as reflected in the total number of vehicles involved, 5230 in 2020 4th quarter, and 5323 in 2021 4th quarter. This knowledge has made the national traffic organization with commendable zeal to step up its public enlightenment campaigns and focus optimally in behavioural change through advocacy programmes, as much as the organization does in terms of enforcement.
Adakoriko Adaviriku Dumaza is a Senior Investigative Editor with La Promotif.
I just learnt about the FRSC through these few lines than I did for the past years. It is obvious the FRSC has done well, but they should do more.
ReplyDeleteThe Federal Road Safety Corps remains one of the most performing sector in Nigeria. The government should do more to increase their numbers considering the population of vehicles we have on our roads and of course the numbers will continue to increase every day.
ReplyDeleteA purpose driven agency. You especially notice them during the December periods and Sallah seasons almost everywhere in the Country. Ensuring safe arival
ReplyDeleteI share this on my face book and twitter page. The writer keeps it simple, despite the many complex jobs the agency have do
ReplyDeleteI am indian, i recal this agency sent some staf oover for training some years ago
ReplyDeleteGrate agentry. truely purpose driven.
ReplyDeleteThe agency has improved significantly over time.
ReplyDeletehowever, the is need for more improvement in the area of personnel training and equipment's.
Let's for a moment look away from the achievements of the FRSC as captured in this article, the writer has mastered the art of writing. great article
ReplyDelete