By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The sector commander if the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRCS, Innocent Tommy Etuk has laid the blame for increasing fatal accident on the doorsteps if heavy duty vehicles, including long trucks which easily lose control due to excessive speed.
In the last six months there have been ghastly vehicular accidents on the same deplorable Calabar-Itu federal highway which has been under repairs since over a decade now. Yesterday, a truck collided with a vehicle conveying students of University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, from Uyo back to Calabar, killing four of them and critically injuring six.
In a statement, Etuk said, “Excessive speed, loss of control by heavy duty vehicles have continued to account for multiple deaths and injuries on the highways.
The Sector Commander described the actions of some truck drivers as devastating and avoidable, noting that, brake failure, wrongful overtaking,
He restated the commitment of the safety agency in maintaining a zero tolerance against reckless driving, particularly by truck drivers along the Odukpani-Itu road.
He strongly condemned the bad driving behaviour of the truck drivers, calling on all relevant stakeholders to partner with them in an effort geared towards promoting strict enforcement measures, joint operations with sister security agencies and other collaborative initiatives that will help in reducing the scourge of road traffic crashes and avoidable fatalities in the State.
“Accordingly, he reiterated that the Corps will no longer tolerate any act of recklessness and unsafe driving practices by truck drivers, vehicle owners and the motoring public that endangers lives and undermines public safety on the road, stating that such offenders will be made to face the full weight of the law.”
He urged truck owners, transport unions and fleet operators to ensure regular vehicle maintenance, drivers training and strict compliance with traffic regulations and further cautioned passengers not to hesitate in calling on drivers to always drive carefully so as to ensure safe arrival.
