Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC, has disclosed that it recorded a number of 513 road accidents which occurred within August 11 and 31, this year, out of which it said, 224 was as a result of over speeding.

Worried by this development, the organisation has said it would introduce speed limiting devices in vehicles plying Nigerian roads.

Corps Commander, Corps Public Education Officer, Stella Uchegbu, who disclosed this at a media parley organised for the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies FOSSRA, by I-Nigerian Initiative, which took place in Abuja, also said planning for the device had entered its final stage.

According to her, “This enforcement will be focused on commercial vehicles due to our findings that more casualties are usually recorded in road crashes involving commercial vehicles which also accounts for 30% of road crashes in the country”,

Uchegbu said consultations on this decision commenced last year with an engagement plan drawn with stakeholders such as the Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, fleet operators and the Nigerian media through two fora in Abuja and Lagos, in addition to other forms of advocacy programmes to attract the buy-in and involvement of all and sundry.

She explained that the Governing Council of the Standards Organization of Nigeria recently granted approval for specifications for the speed limiting devices in the country.

To promptly respond to road crashes and other traffic-related emergencies, Uchegbu said a Call Centre was established to enhance the Corps’ closeness to the general public.

“This initiative was further strengthened through the establishment of a Toll-free emergency line 122 to expand the horizon of our interface with the motoring public in the event of a road crash.

“Furthermore, the Corps established 14 emergency ambulance rescue points code named Zebra, along some critical corridors across the country. Since the commissioning, the ambulance scheme has improved on our response time and rescued over 5,000 road crash casualties.

On the scourge of ebola virus disease (EVD), the FRSC Spokesperson said the Corps distributed protective items for staff two weeks ago.

“It is not only to protect us in the head office. It was shared countrywide to all the commands to tell us that whosoever is to protect others needs must first protect himself. We are giving gloves, face masks, hand sanitizers.

We now want to expand it to protecting our stakeholders; those who come to visit our offices by providing hand sanitizers in the office.