Samuel Ogundipe
The Federal Road Safety Corps
(FRSC) has warned that Nigerians should not use mobile telephones in any
form while behind the wheel, including whether or not their devices
carry hands-free kits.“It is an offence to use mobile telephones
in any form” while driving, Bisi Kazeem, a spokesperson for the FRSC,
told PREMIUM TIMES this week. The warning came after this reporter was
pulled by the roadside by road safety marshals on Wednesday morning in
Abuja, and reached out to Mr Kazeem to clarify whether the rule existed
or the officers were being overzealous.Although the matter was
resolved without a booking for traffic offence, traffic officers warned
that there would soon be a nationwide clampdown on persons driving with
earphones or other hands-free devices.The road safety has
enforced its policy against a direct use of mobile telephones by drivers
for several years, but most drivers switched to hands-free as the most
convenient way to circumvent the offence, and traffic officers hardly
pull drivers with earphones.“We have not started enforcing it,
but it is an offence to drive with earpiece because it is dangerous not
only for the driver but other road users,” a road safety chief said in
addition to Mr Kazeem’s message.The delay in enforcing
prohibition of hands-free while driving has led many to assume that the
option was safe in Nigeria, and it was even the first choice in a list
on road safety tips for drivers.Expert studies around the use of
hands-free by Nigerian drivers remained largely scanty, but scientists
in foreign institutions have concluded that the option was not safe, and
some found it could be dangerous as being twice above alcohol limit.A
collaborative research conducted by scientists at universities in
Australia and the University of Barcelona, Spain, and published in 2013
found using hands-free while driving dangerous, and virtually the same
as being twice above alcohol limit for drivers.Another set of
scientific findings published by the United States National Safety
Council concluded that driving with hands-free could result in a deadly
distraction.Texting while driving has also a serious menace on
Nigerian roads, especially among younger drivers. Studies conducted by
foreign institutions showed that drivers on mobile telephones reduce
their visual scanning of the road ahead or slower to respond to hazards,
and recently developed apps that supposedly aid texting behind the
wheel offer little protection to drivers.
Source:- Premiumtimesng
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