The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reported that between January and March, 1,441 individuals have died in 2,733 road accidents in Nigeria, with 8,339 people injured.

Speaking at a meeting in Abuja regarding the implementation of a policy on pre-fitted speed-limiting devices in vehicles, Dauda Biu, FRSC corps marshal, highlighted that more than 89% of the accidents were due to over-speeding.

Biu stated that, globally, over-speeding was a major contributor to road accidents, but good mobility through design and manufacturing of vehicles could reduce accidents on Nigerian roads.

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Biu explained that behavioural and attitudinal change methods alone cannot bring the desired result, which led the FRSC to find a lasting solution.

He stated that the strategy is to apply technology that is cost-effective and adaptable to regulate speed to national thresholds, and this resulted in the installation of speed-limiting devices in vehicles.

Biu expressed disappointment that past attempts to enforce the policy on speed-limiting devices in commercial vehicles faced several postponements.

He further explained that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the policy in April 2016, but advocacy delayed its implementation until October 1, 2016.

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He added that, between October 1, 2016, and April 30, 2023, 173,573 vehicles have been installed with speed limiters, but a large number of registered vehicles in Nigeria are yet to comply.

Therefore, the FRSC has proposed the development and implementation of pre-fitted speed-limiting devices for all vehicles assembled in Nigeria and those imported into the country.