FRSC: Essence of speed limit device and good tyres

The Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007 bestowed on the Corps the Lead Agency role of the nation/s road traffic administration and safety management. The powers of  FRSC among others, include reduction in road traffic crashes, public enlightenment on good road use, enforcement of  road traffic regulations, determining and enforcing speed limits for all […]

The Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007 bestowed on the Corps the Lead Agency role of the nation/s road traffic administration and safety management. The powers of  FRSC among others, include reduction in road traffic crashes, public enlightenment on good road use, enforcement of  road traffic regulations, determining and enforcing speed limits for all categories of vehicle and  controlling the use of speed limiting devices; conducting researches into causes of road crashes and methods of preventing them and putting into use the result of such researches; regulation of the usRs of seat belt and other safety devices as well as cooperating with bodies or agencies in road safety activities or in prevention of crashes on the highways.
Arising from recent road crashes in the country which have claimed several lives and led to loss of invaluable property as well as leaving some victims maimed, the outcome of our investigation indicated that speed as well as escalated use of substandard tyres by motorists are key factors in the crashes with high influence on rate and severity whereas non-use of the seatbelts by vehicle occupants further aggravated the subsequent injuries and fatalities.
As a responsible organization therefore, the identified encumbrances have been considered for structured tendering as we cannot tolerate the loss of lives of our citizens.
In the FRSC bid to tackle the encumbrance, it is our candid belief that road safety is the business of all citizens. Accordingly, the Corps organized several public enlightenment programmes and stakeholders’ meeting on specific issues on the road safety from time to time so that every concerned citizen opinion is harvested to engender improved service delivery. Outcomes of such engagements were quite positive and road maps drawn up for implementation.
Such efforts included National Summit on safety of haulage operations on 15 June, 2015 and the Annual FRSC Lecture Series held on Stakeholders’ Forum on the use of speed limiting device organized across the country including Abuja and in particular the one on the use of sub-standard tyres held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja on Monday, May 9.It is imperative to note that the seatbelt campaign has on its own, been an on-going campaign.
During the Forum, participants took far reaching decisions on how to address the menace of tyre related crashes and other causes of road crashes. Another Stakeholders’ Forum was held on 26 May 16 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towersl Ikejal Lagos on the implementation of speed limiting device, where participants from varied backgrounds made useful inputs on the way forward.
Furthermore, apart from the need to harness these varied opinions to aid successful implementation of the regulations, the Corps relied on its powers to enforce compulsory use of the speed limiter device in vehicles as contained in the FRSC Act. This is also replicated in the National Road Traffic Regulation (NRTR), (NRTR1 B173 B303) of 2004 Part VII – use and construction, Section53, Sub ­section (6) Part VIII – Driving, Section 79, Sub-section (a). The regulatory document also provided for the compulsory use of seatbelts as well as tyres.
It is important to note also that due to the notoriety of speed in road crash inducement 1 the ECOW AS mandated compulsory enforcement of speed limiters in vehicles in all members States. It also aligns with the on-going global campaign against road traffic crashes under the auspices of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety: 2011-2020. Thus1 the action of the Corps is predicated on global best practices in safe road use.
Consequently I with the approval of Mr. President, a public hearing on use of speed limiting device on 23 Mar 16 by the House of Representatives Committee on FRSC and recent judgment by Hon Justice ES Chukwu of Federal High Court Abuja on April 7, reaffirming the statutory powers of FRSC to enforce speed limiting device in the country. I hereby further seek for your support and cooperation on the promotion of these campaigns through the following commitments by you and all those that fall within your span of influence including members of your family and friends to always: Wear seatbelt whether as front or backseat passengers while in transit; Monitor and ensure that the driver of any vehicle you or they travel in does not violate the stipulated speed limits for the category of vehicles they board; Check the tyres of their vehicles to ensure their appropriate status devoid of expired or fake conditions, including proper gauze; and report any road traffic regulation violation observed to the nearest FRSC patrol team, formation or any other law enforcement personnel or formation for appropriate redress.
To this end, I enjoin you to continue to oblige FRSC through sustained commitment by driving within the stipulated speed limits, using appropriate standard tyres and belting up whether as a front or backseat passenger. A  country where road crash result in no death is the legitimate and noble demand of citizens which FRSC intends deliver on.
Mr. Oyeyemi is the Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).