FRSC AND N30,000 PENALTY

Federal Road Safety Corps is the government agency with statutory responsibilities for road safety administration in Nigeria. Founded in 1988, the FRSC operates in all the states as well as the Federal Capital Territory. The statutory functions include making the highways safe for motorists by minimizing accidents and educating motorists and members of the public on the importance of road discipline on the highways.

Traffic offences are designed to ensure that drivers and car owners respect the right of other road users and make safety a priority at all times. However, despite the existence of traffic laws, some drivers flout these rules.

Sometimes, these laws are flouted out of ignorance. To ensure that such laws are protected, the government attaches penalties to them as a means of correcting erring drivers and road users. For example, the penalty for disobeying traffic control personnel as a first offender is pegged at N20,000.00 while subsequent offence is N30,000.00 in Lagos. Not long ago, a man who was driving without a fire extinguisher narrated how he was extorted by an officer on duty. Although having a fire extinguisher in your car is a safety precaution, I believe a first offender should be warned and allowed to go.

Adebayo Ibrahim, PR Nigeria Center, Kano