GreenLight Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to reduce the burden of road traffic crashes in the country.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr Simon Obi made the call at a road show to commemorate the “2018 United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention, Nigeria” in Abuja on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Day is celebrated annually in solidarity with victims of road traffic crashes and their families.
“The Day has become an important tool in global effort to reduce road casualties.
“It offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastations caused by road traffic crashes and for giving recognition to the suffering of road crash victims.
“It is also to acknowledge the work of support and rescue services,” he said.
Obi said with over 1.3 million people losing their lives every year on the roads, it had become necessary for all hands to be on deck to check the menace.
“The 1.3 million people losing their lives every year on the world’s roads is like the population of so many countries in the world like Switzerland.
“We are here to remember those who have lost their lives and those permanently disabled. We are also here to raise awareness on road safety,” he said.
The executive director lamented that a lot of crashes which happened on Nigerian roads which were recorded to be the most dangerous in the world.
“’We call on government to enact policies that will enhance the safety of motorists on the Nigerian highways,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Sydney Ibeanusi, National Focal Person, UN-Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention, said 90 per cent of road traffic crashes were recorded in the low, middle income and developing countries.
“This has been blamed on actions and inactions of the governments and citizens of these countries,’’ he said.
He urged drivers and pedestrians to desist from alcohol which is also a cause of road accidents.
In his remarks, Commander Sani Ibrahim, Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in charge of Provost and Regimentation in FCT said human, vehicular and environmental factors were causes of road accidents.
He said that human factor constituted 85 per cent of road accidents, calling for efforts to reduce the burden of crashes.
In a goodwill message, a Nollywood Actress, Tonto Dike called for caution while driving on the roads.
“Don’t drink and drive; safety road is everybody’s concern,” she said.