[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ontrary to insinuation that road accidents are caused by blood sucking demons and bad roads during ember months, alcohol has been described as the major factor responsible for road traffic crashes in both developing and developed countries.
Lagos Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), Hyginus Omeje disclosed this recently during his address at the flag off of Guinness Nigeria/FRSC road safety ember months ‘responsible Drinking Awareness Campaign’ held at Ketu garage, Lagos.
Pointing out that the theme of the corps ember months campaign this year which is in tandem with the annual Guinness/FRSC Responsible Drinking Campaign is ” Crash the Crash: Speed Kills,” he said, ” it is worth to note that some of the Road Traffic Crashes recorded underlying factor of driving under the influence of alcohol.
”Alcohol is a major factor which directly or indirectly contributes to the cause of high percentage of RTC in both developing and developed countries.”
According to him, Alcohol disrupts the driver’s skills and abilities, when it goes into the blood stream and spreads throughout the body system, affecting mainly the brain and the eyes.
Omeje explained: ”Analysis of crashes recorded in Lagos State over the past three years shows that in 2013, a total of 3,566 reported cases were recorded with 1,774 injured and 37 deaths; in 2014, 4,387 cases recorded with 1,920 injured and 536 deaths, in 2015, a total of 3,396 cases recorded with 1,666 injured and 143 deaths while in 2016(January- September), a total of 2,401 were recorded with 1,448 injured and the attendant deaths of 302 persons.
“But each time these crashes occur, we tend to ignore the obvious and embrace the following assumptions that: road traffic crashes happens every day and it was destined by God, bad roads will lead to RTC and during ember months demons suck blood on the road. It is not true. Alcohol is the major factor which causes high percentage of those road traffic crashes.”
Omeje cautioned that life is too precious to be wasted on the road as a result of alcohol and drug abuse.
He, therefore, charged everyone to re-direct their mind toward good road use by obeying all rules and regulations as it affects our daily lives.
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