The National Automotive Council has called on the government to impose a ban on the importation of vehicles older than 8 years in order to reduce the rate of accidents caused by the use of rickety vehicles on Nigerian roads.
The Director-General of the Council, Mr Aminu Jalal, made this statement while speaking at a seminar in Lagos on Tuesday with the theme “Safety on Nigerian roads and Development.”
He estimated that Nigeria loses as much as $100bn annually in human and material resources to road accidents. He blamed this on the absence of an age limit on the cars being imported into the country. As a result, old cars that are difficult to maintain break down constantly and cause road crashes.
He also urged the government to ensure that roads were always kept in good conditions; legible and adequate road signs are provided and that measures are taken to prevent reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The NAC boss recommended that training and re-training of drivers on the Highway Code as one of the measures that should be taken to reduce the number of accidents to the barest minimum.
“Drivers should rest for at least 15 minutes after every four hours of driving and must not drive for more than 10 hours in every 24 hours; maintain your vehicles using the manufacturer’s recommendations; and ensure the use of genuine spare parts, especially tyres,” Jalal said.