ABUJA – The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Wednesday restated that it would commence the enforcement of compulsory use of speed limiters by commercial vehicles by June 1, 2015.
Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, spoke of the plan in Abuja at the inauguration of a campaign for safety of children in vehicles.
Oyeyemi said that the enforcement became necessary in view of the increasing rate of road traffic crashes as a result of speed limit violation by motorists in the country.
He decried the recklessness of some drivers on the highway, saying that speed limit violation accounted for 39 per cent of road crashes in the country between January and August 2014.
“We are alarmed that speed limit violation has become another prevalent cause of road traffic crashes, and accounts for 39 per cent of road traffic crashes recorded nationwide between January 2014 and August 2014.
“ This development informed the decision of the Stakeholders’ Forum to embark on aggressive public enlightenment campaign.
“And the need for the FRSC to commence enforcement of law on compulsory use of speed limiters by commercial vehicles effective from June 1, 2015,’’ he said.
The FRSC boss said that the speed limiters would help to control the maximum speed of equipped vehicles and would also serve as a powerful tool for speed management.
“Active speed limiters directly control speed by applying counter force on the accelerator or through the engine fuel injection system,’’ he said.
He said that the campaign for the speed limiters in vehicles would be formally launched on Nov. 18 in Abuja.
Oyeyemi said that the FRSC had intensified sensitisation of the public ahead of the launch date.
On the campaign on safety of children in vehicles, the corps marshal said that the campaign was targeted at saving children through awareness creation to educate parents on the benefits of child restraints in vehicles.
He said that the campaign which was in collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) would go a long way in enlightening the public, especially parents, on safety tips for children while in vehicles.
Earlier, President of the NSE, Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, said that the NSE decided to key into the campaign in order to reduce the carnage on the highways.
He said that the NSE, with membership strength of over 30,000 spread across 59 branches nationwide, would ensure that the campaign was taken to all the nooks and crannies of the country. (NAN)