Avoid night travels, FRSC warns Nigerians

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi, has advised fleet operators, commercial drivers and private vehicle owners against taking night journeys.

Mr Oyeyemi, through a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, Sunday, lamented rising cases of road traffic crashes and fatalities being recorded at night.

The FRSC boss noted a January 5 fatal crash in Kabba, Kogi State, where two vehicles had a head-on collision.

He said the accident was caused by one of the drivers sleeping on the wheel from fatigue.

He said night trips are made dangerous by poor visibility, fatigue, sleeping on the wheel and excessive speeding.

On the January 5 crash, he said:

“The crash involved the driver of a white Toyota Hiace bus ( MSA 942 XA) that contravened COVID-19 protocols on physical distancing by overloading the bus with 18 passengers instead of the prescribed 8 passengers, and a green Iveco trailer ( AKA 788 XC) carrying 07 passengers.

“Out of the 25 passengers on board the two vehicles, 08 were killed while 17 sustained various injuries.”

Mr Oyeyemi stressed that crashes at night are more fatal than others in day time.

He recalled another accident on January 9 involving a Sienna (KUG 538 BJ) and a Sharon bus without a number plate on the Akwanga-Keffi road in Nasarawa State in which all 17 passengers were “burnt beyond recognition.”

The Corps Marshal said intelligence report revealed that most fleet operators and other vehicle owners, including private vehicle owners, embark on night journeys to avid arrest by FRSC patrol officers for overloading of vehicles with passengers and goods and for ignoring physical distancing.

He said while the corps does not have the powers to ban night trips, it was advising travellers against it.

Mr Oyeyemi said when a crash occurs far from FRSC rescue points at night, it is difficult to access help.

“On our part, the corps will continue to double its efforts by constantly engaging the motoring public nationwide, through aggressive awareness and sensitisation campaign, until the desired result is achieved,” he said.