By Our Correspondent in Lokoja
Road crashes represent a leading cause of death and injury around the world, killing more than 1.35 million and injuring over 50 million people annually.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, cited the United nations’ statistics at the commemorative church service to mark ”2020 Africa Road Safety Day/World Remembrance Day For Road Traffic Victims (WDR)”, at the Living Faith Church, Winners’ Chapel, Lokoja on Sunday.
Oyeyemi, who was represented at the service by the Kogi state Sector Commander of the corps, CC Solomon Agure, noted that 90 per cent of the casualties of road accident occurred in developing countries.
He added that road traffic crashes also remained the leading cause of death around the world for children and young people between 15 and 29 years.
He said: ”Traffic deaths and injuries are preventable and avoidable, if motorists will uphold the tenets of road safety by obeying traffic rules and regulations.
”As we round off the activities marking this year’s edition, we appeal to the conscience of all worshippers present at this solemn gathering to critically include road safety consciousness in their daily living.
”Making our roads safe is a collective responsibility for all of us.
”Let us, like the theme of the event, ‘Remember’ victims of Road Traffic Crashes, ‘Support’ government and all other efforts at addressing the issue of road safety.
” ‘Act’ by making decisive and conscious attitudinal changes towards contributing to a safer road safety environment in Nigeria,”Oyeyemi said.
Oyeyemi enjoined motorists to ensure adequate maintenance of vehicles and give consideration to other road users while upholding the tenets of road safety by obeying traffic rules and regulations, to prevent avoidable traffic deaths and injuries.
The Reporters reports that the theme for 2020 edition is: ”Remember, Support, and Act” with distinct objective to identify with trauma of victims of traffic crash and share message of hope to bereaved families.”
According to the FRSC boss, the remembrance day for road traffic victims also provides an opportunity to government at all levels and other stakeholders to expedite action toward the actualization of the basic principles of Safe System approach to Road Safety management.
Contributing, Pastor Dapo Olumuyiwa, the State Pastor of Living Faith Church, Lokoja said that safety on the road remained a collective responsibility of everyone.
Olumuyiwa enjoined passengers to ensure they always caution any speeding driver at any point in time, stressing that, ”we all have a collective responsibility to ensure safety on our roads”.
He called on the relevant authorities to ensure that tyres being imported into the country were thoroughly checked to avoid sub-standard and curb accident.
The cleric prayed for the continued protection of the corps’ personnel in the discharge of their duties, and for “God’s hand of favour and mercy upon Nigeria.”
Agure reminded drivers and passengers the essence of using seatbelt, and for the driver s, checking of tyres, and avoid overtaking at hill or a bend in the interest of saving lives on the road.
