Lagos Marks World Road Safety Day

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The Lagos State Government on Wednesday joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Road Safety Day.

 

The celebration was in line with the United Nations declaration of 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

 

The activities to mark the day will be rounded off on Friday, 13 May, 2011 with a presentation by LASTMA’S Traffic Safety Club members in both the primary and secondary schools in the state under the Lagos State School Traffic Safety Advocacy programme of the agency.

 

According to the state government, it aimed at achieving 50% reduction in road crashes by year 2015 ahead of the 2020 target year.

 

In the last four years, the Lagos State Government ahead of the United Nations Declaration has taken road safety education to primary and secondary schools, using the students and pupils as agents of change.

 

Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa said there had been massive road rehabilitation, road and junction improvement , provision of traffic signages, traffic signal lights, lane markings, zebra crossing, overhead footbridges as well as regulation of motorcycle operation for safety and security purposes.

 

“All these are the hallmark of the UN action plan as contained in the Decade of action document,’ he said.

 

Opeifa enjoined all road users, especially motorists to be more road friendly, use pedestrian bridges where available and where not, make use of the zebra crossings.

 

He advised motorcycle operators in the state to conform with the guidelines agreed upon late last year, which is to assist tremendously in the reduction of road accidents involving motorcycles in the state.

 

The decade of action requires that by 2020, road crashes should be reduced by 50 percent of its current level, protecting vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, investing in transport and traffic education, ensuring safer road designs, producing safer vehicles, stricter vehicular inspection.
By Kazeem Ugbodaga

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