The Akwa Ibom state sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Sunday Oghenekaro, has said disobedience to traffic rules has placed road traffic crashes as the third leader causes of death in the world.
He disclosed this in press conference to mark the fifth edition of the United Nations global road safety week with the theme, “Leadership For Road Safety” held in Uyo on Tuesday.
Oghenekaro said the event which is a week long programme is designed to create awareness and involve stakeholders in the state to collaborate with the FRSC so as to stem the incidences of road traffic crashes.
He added that week is a global event where all member nations of the United Nation is expected to bring up strategic measures that would reduce road traffic incidences to the barest minimum.
“The United Nations Global Road Safety week which commenced on Monday May 6 to May 12, 2019 has the theme” Leadership For Road Safety.
“Whereas the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO) Day will be marked on the 8 of May yearly. WARSON has the theme “Evaluating Road Safety Performances in West Africa.
“United nations is calling for concerted effort of all member nations to ensure that they increase effort and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
“In their respective states towards ensuring that road traffic incidences which has been described as the third leading cause of death worldwide is given prominent.
“if not, what is anticipated in the World Health Organization statistics of death may place road traffic incidences as the number one main cause of death by the year 2020”.
“This is the fifth event, the first one was marked in 2007, the second in 2013, the third in 2015, the fourth in 2017 and this is the fifth world action as put together by the United nations.
“The event starts on the May 6 and will continue till Sunday May 12 which is the closing event.
“During the week, other events that will be used to mark this global road safety week is the executive walk, where some major streets would be inspected, hospitals visitation where we would visit victims of road traffic crashes in some hospitals.
“Then on Friday will be prayer section by the Muslims. On Sunday, we will have the church service to close up the entire event, and the religious aspect of it is to pray for the souls of victims of road traffic crashes to console their families and loved oness,” Oghenekaro said.
