The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Ogun Command, says it has arrested over 35, 734 traffic offenders between January and December 2015, for various offences.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta on Sunday.
Adetunji said the offenders were arrested for offences such as speeding, overloading, refusal to use seat belt and making phone calls while driving.
He said others were arrested for failure to use crash helmets, reckless driving and driver’s license violation.
He said that the most prevalent of the offences included seat belt violation for which 8, 732 offenders were arrested, and that 5,789 were arrested for tyre violation.
The sector commander also said that a total of 5,198 were apprehended for driver license violations.
He said that majority of the offenders were prosecuted and fined.
He said that the commission was more concerned with safety of lives and property on the nation`s highways than penalising offenders.
“Most of the offenders arrested were sanctioned and prosecuted.
“It is that change in the attitude of the motorists that we are interested in and not the money collected from fines,” Adetunji said.
He said the command had already mapped out plans to begin sensitisation and enlightenment programmes in all parks and garages in the state on the need to drive safely in the year.
“The command is already planning a sensitisation programme for commercial motorists in the state on the need to drive safely and obey traffic rules, regulations and road signs.
“In 2015, the FRSC in Ogun was able to educate over 30, 742 offenders across the 20 local government councils of the state,” he said. (NAN)