20th June, 2017
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Samuel Odukoya, has disclosed that drivers who violate traffic rules and regulations on the road would be made to undergo psychiatric test to ascertain their mental state of mind.
He disclosed this on Tuesday in his office in Benin, saying that the test takes effect from July 1.
Odukoya who noted that FRSC had zero tolerance to traffic violations and that whoever caught would be made to face the law, warned that the flagrant disobedience of traffic rules and regulations in the state by motorists necessitated the psychiatrist test.
“By July 1, offences like answering phones while driving, overloading, route violation (one way drive), beating the traffic, amongst others, would henceforth attract psychiatric test before the payment of stipulated fine.
“When we arrest any driver who violates traffic rules, before he is booked for the offence, he would first go for psychiatric test to ascertain his mental state of mind.
“Once a driver is caught, his vehicle would be seized until the doctor confirms his mental state and the driver would pay all the expenses at the hospital as well as the fine for such offence.
“We believe that by the time about 40 people who committed the offence are sent for psychiatric test, pay for the test and N50,000 fine for the violation, it would serve as deterrent to other people to comply with traffic rules,” he said.
The Edo Sector Commander of the FRSC also disclosed that Governor Godwin Obaseki had promised to provide doctors for the exercise as well as a Mobile Court to try offenders after paying for the psychiatric test, adding; “Obaseki is committed to stopping the menace in the State.”
According to him, the FRSC would collaborate with the traffic management that would be set up by the State Government for effective implementation of the exercise and addressing the menace.