Poised to free Nigeria roads from all accidents related to human errors and negligence, The Federal Road Safety Commission under the leadership of the Corp Marshal/Chief Executive Officer Boboye Oyeyemi is leaving no stones unturned in insuring that only good tyres ply Nigeria roads.  Towards achieving this, Boboye Oyeyemi said that the era of recklessness in Nigerian roads and human negligence that could cost lives of offenders and innocent people is over.  ‘Recklessness is the highest degree of carelessness which is punishable everywhere.  Part of that recklessness is plying Nigeria roads with worn-out tyres, expired tyres and substandard tyres.  We will not only punish this kind of recklessness, but we will do whatsoever that is necessary to bequeath Nigerians with good driving attitudes in a view towards attainment the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety (2011 – 2020), reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities by 50% before the year 2020, realization of Accra Declaration of reducing road traffic crash fatalities by 50% by year 2015 as well as reversal of the trend of 43 deaths per 10,000 vehicles to minimum of 2 deaths per 10,000 vehicles and placing Nigeria among the league of global safest roads by the year 2020’.

Boboye who spoke during a stakeholders’ interactive forum on safe tyres held in Musa Yaradua Centre on 9th of May, 2016 reiterated the need to make safety a watch-word for every road user as according him ‘Road safety is a shared responsibility by everyone who uses the roads’.  The Forum was attended by top government functionaries, parliamentarians, civil society organizations, stakeholders in transport sector such as Road Transport Employers Association {RETEAN}, National Union of Road Transport Workers {NURTW}, National Vulcanizers Association, National Automotive Council, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Tyre importers and dealers among others reiterated the need for Nigerians to become more safety conscious especially as it relates to the kind and nature of tyres they ply the roads with. ‘If one settles for cheap worn-out or expired tyre because you want to save money, you may end up not saving your own life if the same cheap tyres plunge you into a serious or fatal accident’.  He said.

In his language ‘Care for tyres and rudimentary safety precautions are mostly neglected among vehicle owners and users in Nigeria.  Many of the accidents recently recorded in Nigeria are attributable to tyre burst, thus it becomes expedient that the issue must be taken more seriously now than ever before’. Boboye said.

Part of the ‘Know your Tyre’ campaign is geared towards educating and enlightening Nigerians on the proper use of tyres which include how to know expired tyres, how to know tyre pressures and gauge; proper inflation of tyre, over inflation and under inflation’.  Our conceptualized strategies are to massively avail Nigerians information on safe tyres, translated into different Nigeria languages such that everyone will become a partner in the business of safe tyres and safe Nigerian roads’.  Oyeyemi said.

Currently, towards achieving this, The Federal Road Safety Corp has commenced an all encompassing campaign towards mobilizing Nigerians on Tyre Safety Enlightenment.  ‘We have formed strategic partnership with SON, Nigeria Customs, the Media, The telecommunication Companies and all stake holders such that soon it will become a habit for every Nigerian motorist to ask himself or herself about the safety and condition of his or her tyres before he pulls the vehicle on the road.  ‘Again, since you cannot talk about Tyre Safety without first educating the vulcanizers, we have conceptualized different methodologies towards training vulcanizers and working towards providing them sound pressure gauge to further ensure safe tyre regime in Nigeria’.

‘We’re not resting in our determination to keep Nigerian roads free.  Among other plans we have so far put in place, we have a programme called Pre-Trip vehicle inspection at motor parks aimed at encouraging drivers to inspect their vehicles and tyres before embarking on a journey.  We have as well started another programme where we inspect trucks conveying petroleum products right at the tank farms and loading bays before they depart from the bays.  Both programmes have wonderfully saved lots of accidents on Nigeria ways’.  Boboye said.

I. L. Shedrack is a Safety Promotion and Edutainment Consultant who resides in Abuja, FCT.

0818 708 8880

Email:  lightsheddie26@gmail.com

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