Commuters and transport unions should collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Commission to mitigate road carnages.

According to the Commission, road crashes had been on downward trend, however, the number was still huge, hence the need for commuters and transport unions to do more in sensitisation.

Its Lagos State Sector Commander, Hyginus Omeje said commuters must not be quiet when any driver is endangering their lives by violating traffic rules and regulations.

He made the appeal at the twenty-eighteen West Africa Road Safety Organisation, WARSO, Day held in Lagos, tagged, “WARSO in the last ten years, Journey So Far” had in attendance FRSC Special Marshal, members of transport unions and other security agencies.

According to him, commuters must not be quiet when any driver is endangering their lives by violating traffic rules and regulations.

“If you see something, say something. Passengers can do much in reducing accident and save lives but what we discover is that more often than not, passengers keep quite.

“If you are in a bus and the driver is speeding, you owe it as a duty to raise your voice; but what we see is the opposite, passengers keep quiet.

“At times, other passengers will even silence the one raising alarm. This is unfortunate, life has no duplicate.

“We should all be proactive in ensuring that we mitigate road crashes.

“It is no more news that road traffic injuries claim more than 1.3 million lives each year and have a huge impact on health and development.

“It is the attitude of the road users that is the problem. If overloading will be stopped as well as driving under influence of alcohol, transport unions have a role to play,” he said.

The FRSC boss said road crashes had killed more than malaria and HIV aids or any other diseases had killed.

According to him, the commission has been going to motor parks to dissuade drivers from taking alcohol or any substance capable of affecting their moods and psyches.

Omeje said the aim of WARSO was to promote and reinforce road safety activities in the region.

According to him, the organisation supports national road safety bodies, coordinate road safety activities, promote and encourage exchange of experience and information among member nations.

“Within the last 10 years, WARSO has lived up to expectations and mandate for its establishment.

“We have been able to come up with a uniform template to record road crashes in the sub-region.

“We have been able to inculcate road safety activities in schools curriculum in member states to ensure children imbibe road safety culture in primary and secondary schools.

“To commemorate this year anniversary, we have organised a motorised road show to sensitise the motoring public on the proper use of the highways to reduce crashes,” he added.

He said Nigeria had been able to support member nations in setting up road safety bodies as well as having coordinated road safety activities.

Omeje said road crashes had been gradually and steadily declining in the last three decades of FRSC establishment since 1988.

According to him, in the first decade of FRSC existence (1988-1997), the FRSC records 207, 746 crashes, while 138, 974 road crashes was recorded in the second decade (1998- 2007).

“There is a downward trend in the number killed. The number killed in the first decade was 81, 495 and this came down to 65, 098.

“In the third decade between 2008 and 2017, road crashes came down to 112, 812 while the number killed also came down to 58, 706.

“There is a consistent trending down, we are not yet there. The number of crashes and victims is still huge.

“There is still much more work to be done in terms of awareness, sensitisation, infrastructure to help in ensuring mitigation of this menace called traffic crashes on our roads”

He advised governments in the sub-region to strengthen various institutions mandated with prompting road safety to be effective.

Also speaking, Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ojodu Branch B, Adegboyega Adekunbi, commended the FRSC and other traffic agencies for the sensitisation.

Adekunbi, represented by Taiwo Abiodun, the Secretary of the branch, however, urged the law enforcement agencies to always position themselves at strategic points that would curb accidents on highways.

The commission, apart from the road show, organised medical checkups and public enlightenment for transport unions at Berger Park, Ojodu to commemorate the WARSO Day.