| dc.description.abstract | Road traffic crashes are a significant public health problem, resulting in over 1.19 million deaths annually worldwide. In Nigeria, 75-80% of road traffic crashes are caused by human factors such as speeding, reckless driving, and alcohol consumption. Driving under the influence of alcohol increases the risk of road traffic crashes by impairing reaction, judgment, and coordination.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has put in place various measures to ensure road safety, but there are significant challenges in enforcing laws on drunk driving, which include a lack of breath testing facilities, motivation of personnel, infrastructure, and data management. In Nigeria, the 2007 FRSC Act states that the permissible BAC is 0.5%, but enforcement is poor compared to other African countries.
This brief therefore advances the following recommendations:
i. The House Committee on Federal Road Safety Corps may consider the prioritisation of technological investments, ensuring a dedicated budget line be established within the annual budget of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for the procurement of certified breathalysers
ii. ii. The Committee may amend the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act 2007 to authorise breath-testing checkpoints nationwide, criminalise refusal to undergo breath testing, and formally recognise breathalyser results as admissible electronic evidence in court.
iii. iii. The Federal Road Safety Corps may consider establishing a centralised, digital road traffic database linking the Federal Road Safety Corps, hospitals, police, and insurance agencies with the intention of capturing real-time data on alcohol-related accidents, tracking repeat offenders and supporting evidence-based policymaking and enforcement evaluation. | en_US |
