17th February, 2020
The Lagos State Safety Commission has advised motorists across the State to be safety conscious during this harmattan season.
Director General, Lagos Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, in a statement, urged motorists to be extra careful when driving as visibility is particularly poor early in the mornings and late evenings due to the dry and dusty north-east winds synonymous with the Harmattan Season.
He explained that current weather conditions might reduce the vision of a driver by 200 metres thereby creating hazardous driving conditions.
According to him, “In severe weather conditions, road signage and markings may be difficult to see as drivers need to use fog lights or low beam lights and not the high beam as it may cause glare hindering possibilities of seeing what is ahead”.
He noted that as a standard, motorists should head out early to their destinations to avoid speeding whilst on highways, they should maintain significant distance between other road users and vehicles ahead to guard against sudden braking that may lead to accidents due to poor visibility.
Mojola urged motorists to use hazard lights in extreme cases of very low or poor visibility, adding that motorists should desist from usage of windscreens with cracks, as these might also reduce visibility when driving during harsh weather conditions.
He emphasized that fire extinguisher, extra tyre, torch light, jack, spanners, C caution sign and other basic tools should always be in motorists’ vehicles in case of unforeseen circumstances.