28th May, 2023
By Stanley Nwanosike
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned motorists and Nigerians against night travel, especially during the rainy season due to the risks inherent in such journeys.
The corps also urged motorists to ensure optimal functionality of their lighting system in order to give clear traffic communication to other road users.
The Sector Commander of FRSC, Enugu State Command, Mr Joseph Toby, gave the warning on Saturday in Enugu while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the impact of the rainy season on safe driving.
Toby advised travellers and motorists that convey people to far distances to always plan their journeys and “set off on the journey at dawn”, as well as put their vehicles in good working condition ahead of their trips.
According to him, nobody should contemplate any attempt to travel at night as there are obvious negative consequences to it.
“Usually, fog at night hours affects drivers’ vision, you might have a smoking vehicle ahead of you that will totally blind your vision with its smoke.
“At times, due to wind storms before rainfall, a tree can fall on the road, if a driver is on speed, it will take the grace of God for the driver to spot the fallen tree in good time.
“Apart from these, the force of nature can make the driver doze off and lose control, as well as the activities of men of the underworld,” he said.
The sector commander said that “no motorist should compromise the need to have a sharp and effective lighting system as visibility during the rainy season is usually poor”.
“However, good lighting systems aid visibility of the driver and other road users as well as help to give clear information that will give orderliness on the road.
“The headlamp should be sharp to aid visibility, brake lights, trafficators and rear lights should be optimally functional to guide those behind properly,” he said.
He noted that good tyres with firm grips on the road, functional wipers and brake system should be fitted during this rainy season as it aids a safe journey, devoid of accidents or regrets.
“Other parts of the vehicle should be attended to as well since a fault in one part can affect other parts of the vehicle during a long journey,” he noted.