Ember Months: TRACE boss urges motorists, pedestrians to be safety conscious

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps has urged the motoring public and other road users to be safety conscious, in order to stem road crashes during the yuletide period.
Seni Ogunyemi, the TRACE Corps Commander in Ogun, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Ota.
Ogunyemi said that the Corps had rolled out some measures for the ember months and the yuletide season, so as to prevent unnecessary loss of lives in the state.
According to the TRACE boss, this year, measures were evolved with the resolve to achieve maximum results by reducing crashes to the barest minimum.
He said: “Having been directed by the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to ensure an accident-free yuletide, and after weeks of deliberations, TRACE executives have come out with new initiatives to drastically stem road crashes during the period.
“We intend to take the safety campaign to the doorsteps of all road users, as well as public garages and parks, to gain the attention of commercial drivers and riders, as well as corporate organisations.
“TRACE is also aware of the important position religion occupies in our society. So it has mandated its officials, armed with the gospel of safety consciousness, to visit mosques on Fridays and churches on Sundays to sensitise worshippers on the risks involved in flouting traffic regulations.’’
He said that the TRACE officials are also required to demonstrate to pedestrians that it is safer to use Zebra crossings, where there are no pedestrian bridges, while drivers and riders should always stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings, because they have right of way.
The TRACE official added that their operatives would also monitor all motorists closely to ensure that they adhered to traffic rules which bar drivers from taking alcoholic beverages, as well as driving against traffic, and violating prescribed speed limits.
Ogunyemi also implored pedestrians to look at both sides before crossing the roads, to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.