Nigeria to arrest seat belt violators from January

The Federal Road Safety Commission will from 1 January 2015 start arresting motorists and occupants of moving vehicles who fail to use seat belt.

Jonas Agwu, the Corps Public Education Officer, said the commission has begun a nationwide campaign to enlighten people on compulsory use of seat belts by occupants of vehicles.

It directed personnel of the commission to conduct a “robust public enlightenment’’ camapign before the deadline.

“This is a build up to the planned nationwide clampdown on erring road users, commencing on Jan. 1, 2015. The FRSC has noted, with concern, the high level of non-compliance by vehicle occupants on the seat belt directive.

“The Nigerian motoring public is more focused on front seat occupants while the rear seat occupants show high level of indifference to this directive,’’ the statement said.

It noted that the failure to use seat belts had posed serious challenge to the commission’s efforts at addressing road crashes in the country.

According to the statement, the use of seat belt by all occupants of moving vehicles can reduce the severity of injury sustained in road accidents by 50 per cent.

“Vehicle owners are hereby enjoined to ensure that their vehicles are fitted with front and rear seat belts. Similarly, commuters are also implored to comply with this directive by ensuring seat belt usage by front and rear seat passengers,’’ it said.

Meanwhile, Mrs Susan Ajenge, the new FRSC Sector Commander for the FCT Command, has advocated the setting up of a task force to remove road side traders from the territory’s highways.

Ajenge, who made the call during an interactive session with newsmen on Monday, noted that their removal would ensure free flow of vehicular traffic.

“I intend to meet with the police, army and other security agencies, and the Minister of the FCT for us to come up with a task force.

“They (members) will be deployed at strategic locations to disband these hawkers from areas where we have traffic build up, they (hawkers) compound traffic build in the territory,’’ she said.