Ember months: No ‘blood-sucking demons’ on Nigerian roads – FRSC
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has cautioned against the belief by some people, including commuters, of the existence of blood-sucking demons that kill travellers on the road during the yuletide.
Mr Samuel Obayemi, FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RF9 Enugu, gave the caution in Owerri on Thursday, during the flag-off of this year’s “ember month” campaign.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Safe Driving, Safe Arrival,’ the zonal commanding officer described such belief as erroneous, and said human factors were responsible for most of the road crashes in the country.
“There are no blood-sucking demons on the road to kill you; stop believing that someone from your village wants to send accident to you through the air.
“If you drive safely, you must arrive safely.
“That is why we are sensitising the public, especially for this year’s yuletide, which is fast approaching,” he said.
Obayemi gave the number of road crashes in the zone for September and October as 26 and 34 respectively.
He said 51 persons were injured in road crashes in September while 108 were injured in October.
“In addition, 44 lives were lost in September, while October claimed 206 lives,” he said.
According to the road safety boss, the campaign is targeted at reducing road crashes by 15 per cent and fatality by 30 per cent.