Kogi – The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned motorists in Kogi State against driving without fire extinguisher.
The Kogi State FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Solomon Agure, sounded the warning in a press statement signed by the Command’s Public Education Officer, Mr Ayodeji Oluwadunsin
Agure said that it has come to the notice of the FRC that many motors in the are withiut fire extinguisher, a situation which had resulted to unnecessary and preventable fire outbreaks.
“The Federal Road Safety Corps Kogi Sector Command has observed with much concern the rate of automobile vehicles involved fire outbreaks in recent time due to the current whether condition (harmattan) coupled with the lackadaisical attitude of vehicle owners in the State towards the possession of active fire extinguishers.
“It’s sad and uncalled for their undermining of the safety importance of fire extinguisher as an essential tool in vehicles.
“We shall no longer tolerate any motorist that is penchant at violating traffic rules and regulations which can inimically denaturalize the effectiveness of safety on our roads.
“The mandatory possession of an extinguisher was in tandem with the Corps 2022 Corporate Strategic Goals to achieve the 15 percent reduction both in fatality and road traffic crashes through public education, advocacy and heightened enforcement as expected in the year and beyond.
“This is solely because fire extinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish small fire often in emergency situations,” he explained.
The FRSC boss wondered why some motorists find it so difficult to equip their vehicles with such safety equipment to combat the unfriendly enemy whenever it surfaced.
According to him, most of the automobile fire outbreaking on our roads are preventable through proper and regular vehicle maintenance and are avoidable if this important facility is actually available to fight the fire directly from it source before it escalates to consuming properties as well as threatening lives on the road.
He stated that Dry chemical powder which used to be in different sizes such as 1kg, 2kg, 6kg and 9kg are for automobile fire as specified below;
Also Cars, Taxes and medium buses, he continued, were meant to carry 1unit of 1kg each, 2units of 6kg are expected on luxury buses and lories and 2units of 9kg goes for the articulated vehicles.
Agure disclosed that the Command has to step up enforcement on essential safety tool in vehicles through the Corps periodic Vehicle Free Safety Check patrol.
He, however, urged the public to use 122 toll free line to report to the corps any emergency situation or any act that was suspected of looming danger to commuters. (NAN/vitalnews)
