Announcing the figure yesterday in Benin at the national launch of the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety, Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Osita Chidoka disclosed that over 80 percent of the figure occurs in developing countries with Africa accounting for the highest death rate.
The corps marshal who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator of the FRSC, Mr. Yakubu Atta, said WHO had predicted that if nothing was done by countries to stem the tide, death by RTA would increase by 65 percent by 2015/2020 overtaking malaria and tuberculosis.
e re-echoed the United Nations General Assembly call for dedicated intervention by government to bring down the estimated rise in road traffic accident by 50 percent and called for concerted efforts by the various levels of government in Nigeria to ensure that the country improved on its current ranking.
In a related development, brewing giant, Guinness Nigeria Plc has restated its commitment to the promotion of responsible drinking by extending its support to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the Nigerian launch of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety held in Abuja recently.
The company, in a release issued in commemoration of the event recalled how it had consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to promoting responsible consumption of alcohol as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle through its various “Responsible Drinking” initiatives. The initiatives include the “Don’t Drink and Drive Campaign” which was broadcast on radio and billboards in January as well as an alcohol education platform tagged DRINKIQ, which the company leverages to engage various stakeholders.
At its general meeting of April 25, 2008, the UN recognised the importance of a renewed commitment to road safety in stemming avoidable fatalities resulting from RTC’s. As a result, the decade 2011-2020 has been declared the ‘UN Decade of Action on Road Safety’ with the goal to reduce the number of fatalities caused by RTC’s by 50 percent by the year 2020. Launching the UN Decade on Road Safety in Nigeria, the FRSC also urged Nigerians across civil societies to commit to the cause by making a number of undertakings, including abstaining from drink-driving.
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