The Federal Road Safety Corps in Ebonyi says it will embark on free vehicle safety check to curtail the surge of non-functional ones in the ember months of this year.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Ebonyi, Stella Uchegbu, made the disclosure on Sunday in Abakaliki while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria as part of activities to mark the 2020 African Road Safety and World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was started by RoadPeace in 1993.
Since then, it has been observed and promoted worldwide by several NGOs, including the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims and its associated organisations.
On October 26, 2005, the United Nations endorsed it as a global day to be observed every third Sunday in November each year, making it a major advocacy day for road traffic injury prevention.
The World health Organisation and the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration encourage governments and NGOs around the world to commemorate this day.
Uchegbu said that such check became imperative because people bring out unsafe vehicles on the roads to meet the commuter demands of the ember months.
“We intend to identify faults, mechanical and otherwise in the vehicles we inspect and point out such faults to drivers to make necessary repairs.
“We will also conduct enlightenment programmes within the period to make drivers embrace attitudinal change to ensure we have safe ember months,” she said.
The sector commander said that the command would also adopt the safe system approach to check speeding by drivers identified as a major cause of road traffic crashes.
“The ember months are not different from other months of the year but what we do make the months seem different.
“We seek the collaboration of relevant stakeholders, including drivers and other motorists to see reasons to cooperate with the command and obey traffic regulations,” she said.
She added that since the UN endorsed the remembrance of road crash victims as an annual global event (Under the UN Decade of Action), it was adopted by member countries, including African nations.
“It is set aside to remember road crash victims both dead and alive and includes activities such as meeting of school children, church and mosque services, special lectures, hospital visitations and candle light procession for dead victims among others.
“The period is majorly used to remind motorists on the need to be cautious and avoid unwholesome practices, capable of endangering their lives and that of other road users.
“We adopt the 30-day call practice on road accident victims to ascertain how they are faring in hospitals and even when are discharged, offering messages of hope in the process,” she said.
