By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
As Nigerians prepare to pour onto highways in celebration of the New Year, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has issued a stark warning: joy on the calendar must not translate into tragedy on the road.
The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, mni, on Sunday appealed to motorists nationwide to put safety ahead of speed, celebration and convenience, stressing that avoidable road crashes remain the fastest way to turn a New Year into a national emergency.
According to Mohammed, the transition into a new year traditionally triggers a sharp spike in vehicular movement, a pattern that has consistently been accompanied by fatigue-driven driving, reckless behaviour and fatal violations of traffic laws.
“Speeding, drunk driving, dangerous overtaking and wilful disregard for traffic regulations remain the biggest threats on our roads during this period,” the Corps Marshal warned, noting that many of the crashes recorded at year-end are preventable.
He urged motorists to take personal responsibility by ensuring their vehicles are roadworthy before setting out, obeying speed limits and avoiding alcohol or drug use while driving.
Distractions behind the wheel, he added, often prove deadly in moments that demand maximum attention.
Beyond individual conduct, the FRSC boss advised travellers to plan their journeys deliberately, take adequate rest breaks and cooperate fully with traffic and safety agencies deployed across the country.
Reassuring the public, Mohammed said the Corps has activated a nationwide operational posture, with personnel strategically positioned on major highways and critical transport corridors to manage traffic flow, enforce compliance and respond swiftly to emergencies.
The objective, he explained, is not enforcement for its own sake, but the protection of lives and property at a time when road pressure is at its peak.
While reiterating that the FRSC remains fully mobilised, the Corps Marshal stressed that road safety cannot be achieved by enforcement alone.
“Safety is a shared responsibility,” he said, urging all categories of road users drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians to make conscious, safety-first decisions as the nation steps into a new year.
The appeal, issued ahead of peak holiday travel, frames road safety as a civic duty rather than a seasonal slogan, with the FRSC positioning itself as both regulator and responder.
As the countdown to the New Year gathers momentum, the message from the nation’s road safety chief is blunt and timely: arrive alive, or the celebration counts for nothing.
