The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has sensitised drivers to highway procedures in order to mitigate road crashes during the Yuletide.
Mr. Eugene Nyelong, NEMA North-Central Zonal Coordinator said on Thursday in Jos that the sensitisation was a prelude to NEMA’s annual End-of Year programme known as the ‘Eagle Eye’.
Nyelong said that the sensitisation was imperative as the roads were usually busy during the yuletide.
“The exercise is to ensure that drivers obey road signs, obey speed limits and all that is necessary to keep the roads safe for all road users. “We are holding the programme here at Yan Doya Motor Park because this is one of the busiest motor parks in Jos.
“We are here to sensitise the drivers and principal officers of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to safety procedures on the highways.
“We are doing this in collaboration with the FRSC, the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), the Red Cross Society and other critical stakeholders.
“This is necessary because the yuletide is considered as a rush period as many people travel for holidays and festivities and such makes the roads very busy,’’ he said.
Mr. Yakubu Ishaka, Training Officer, FRSC Plateau Sector Command, said that there were three categories of drivers namely risk averse, risk neutral and risk takers.
Ishaka explained that the risk averse drivers were the ones that without supervision could obey traffic rules and regulations.
“He has the driver’s licence, vehicle papers, fastens his seat belt and never makes calls while driving.
“The risk neutral; wherever traffic agencies like FRSC including the police are not watching him, he violates the traffic rules but he obeys when he sees them.
“The risk taker violates traffic rules and regulations at purpose even when he sees the regulating agencies he will not stop.
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“If you are in one of the last two groups, please change your attitude and become a risk averse person.
“Attitude is one of the reasons why we have road crashes and if you change you will be saving a life on the road and that life may be yours,’’ he said.
According to him, if all road users obey traffic rules, the roads will be safe for everyone.
The training officer advised drivers to learn highway codes and rudiments before plying the roads.
He encouraged the organisers to make the sensitisation exercise a regular event.
Malam Abduallahi Muazu, Yan Doya Motor Park branch Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers commended NEMA and the other stakeholders for the gesture.
Muazu said that learning was a continuous process, adding that they had learnt new things to keep them and other roads users safe.
“As a branch we will ensure that we imbibe all that we have learnt today as we do our work,’’ he said. (NAN)
