This was the consensus of the speakers at the joint press conference organised to commemorate the 2017 African Road Safety Day/World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Crashes held at the National Press Centre, Radio House Abuja.

According to the Corps Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, it was resolved that the public should be aware of the menace of road crashes and the burdens which victims and their families experience.

National Focal Person of the United Nations Decade of Action For Road Safety and Injury Prevention in Nigeria, Dr Sydney Ibeanus,  disclosed that most victims of road traffic crashes come from developing economies of the world like Nigeria, where economic losses arising from road crashes are up to 5% of the GDP, which run into billions of Dollars per year.

He warned that if appropriate measures were not taken by relevant stakeholders to avert the menace, the fatality rate of the crashes could increase by 65% by 2020, saying the Remembrance Day should be seen as a wakeup call for all stakeholders to join hands in addressing the challenges of road carnage in the continent.

FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, who was represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Motor Vehicle Administration, Theophilus Charles, commended the stakeholders for their commitment to the campaigns for safer road environment in Nigeria.

He further said that the FRSC is committed to attaining the goals of the UN Decade of Action For Road Safety through a number of programmes it has initiated.

These, he said included safe corridor projects and introduction of Nigeria Road Safety Strategy document [(NRSS) 2016-2020] with the inauguration of National Road Safety Advisory Council (NaRSAC) under the chairmanship of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a clear direction towards achieving the vision of road safety in line with the Safe System Approach.

Others he said were data harmonisation with stakeholders under National Committee on Crash Report Information System (NACRIS) for a unified data system in the country; Weekly public enlightenment and sensitisation campaign for pedestrian and motorists on the dangers inherent in the abuse of road traffic regulations and sensitisation campaign on installation of speed limiters as well as use of expired /worn-out tyres.