The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has raised an alarm over increasing cases of drunk driving, with incidents reported as early as 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. in Cross River State.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Cross River, Innocent Etuk, said this when he visited the Palace of the Obong of Calabar on Thursday.
Mr Etuk said recent patrols and breath tests by his men in the last three weeks revealed that many active drivers consumed alcohol between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. before picking up passengers.
According to him, the trend endangers passengers, pedestrians and other road users across the state. He described drunk driving as a serious safety and public health issue.
“This act requires an urgent mindset change among commercial drivers.
“The corps will intensify advocacy, enforcement and community engagement to address the menace.
“I also wish to stress the need for defensive driving and urge motorists to prioritise safety over profit because road crashes impose heavy emotional and financial burdens on families and government,” he said.
A member of the Obong’s council, Ekpenyong Okpo, urged the FRSC to improve its equipment, such as towing vans, to remove broken-down vehicles that cause traffic obstructions and crashes on the roads.
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Mr Okpo added that such facilities would not only enhance safety but also serve as a revenue-generating machinery for the corps.
The Obong of Calabar, Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, represented by Otu Otu, a senior member of the Obong’s Council, commended the FRSC for engaging traditional institutions in promoting road safety.
He assured that their road safety messages would be taken to all the communities through the traditional rulers in the council, who represented the various communities.
The high point of the visit was the handing over of a memento to the Obong of Calabar by the sector commander
(NAN)