Ember months campaign: FRSC urges motorists to take responsibility in driving

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has urged motorists plying the roads during the ember months to take responsibility and drive with care to ensure safety and reduce crashes.

Corps Marshal, Mr Shehu Mohammed, said this in Uyo on Monday during a press conference to flag off the 2025 ember months public enlightenment.

Mohammed, represented by the Akwa Ibom Sector Commander, Mr Francis Ajatta, said the FRSC during the period would intensify advocacy and public awareness on the need for safer road use.

Our correspondent reports that the 2025 ember month campaign theme is, “Take Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving.”

According to him, the theme reinforces the view that human factors are one of the major causes of road crashes.

The corps marshal added that the theme also drew attention to the fact that drivers were largely responsible for crashes on the highways.

“It was carefully chosen to address road traffic infringements by drivers which were largely responsible for the previous road crash records. These violations include the following; failure to adhere to road traffic rules and regulations.

“Speed limit violations, driving under influence (alcohol and drugs), seat belt violations and road rage; amongst other driver-related causes of road crashes, such as the use of phones while driving” Mohammed said.

He disclosed that in the 2024 Operation Zero, from December 15, 2024 to January 15, 2025, crash statistics revealed that 432 persons were killed, 2,070 persons were injured out of 533 reported cases of road crashes.

He revealed that records also showed that the major causes of those crashes were driver fatigue, overloading of persons, conveyance of persons in haulage vehicles and traveling with fuel in plastic containers.

The corps marshal said driver behaviour was a fundamental element in determining safety on the highways.

He said that with commitment to achieve the desired outcome of the 2025 end of year campaign, the corps would deploy personnel across major highways and crash-prone corridors nationwide.

He added that during the period, free-vehicle check exercise to improve vehicle road worthiness would be carried out.

In his remarks, Ajatta said the Akwa Ibom command had mapped out strategies to ensure safety within the state during the ember months.

The sector commander said he had interface with drivers at various motor park, visited churches and mosques, had townhall meetings and road shows in the state to awaken road safety consciousness in motorists as well as the general public.

“Nonetheless, our routine traffic law enforcement is also going to be intensified with special attention on critical offences which has been identified as a major causer factor of road crashes.

“These offences include; overloading, speed violation, worn out tyres, light sign violation and other related offences,” he said.

Ajatta said the command had also identified possible traffic congestion areas like; markets, trailer park at Ntak Inyang and roundabout, where personnel would be stationed to ensure free flow of traffic and safety.

He called for collaboration from state government, multinational organisations and well-meaning individuals to support the command with heavy duty towing van during this period, stressing that safety on the roads was a shared responsibility.