Road crashes: Will mandatory tests for alcohol, drug use in motorists stem tide?
The National Road Traffic Regulations 2012, which provides yearly medical fitness tests, including drug and alcohol screening at any National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)-approved hospital for drivers has been observed in the breach. BERTRAM NWANNEKANMA reports that the strict implementation of this regulation may be the antidote to the increasing carnage on Nigeria’s roads.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Status Report 2023, road traffic injuries were the ninth leading cause of death globally, claiming the lives of more than two million people each year.
Nigeria accounted for nearly 10 per cent of deaths arising from road traffic fatalities globally. This means that about 200,000 Nigerians die every year from road crashes that are avoidable if the right things are done.
One of the most grievous incidents occurred in October last year in Jigawa, where over 200 people were roasted in a fire that broke out following an auto crash at night. That incident made October 2024, the worst with 527 deaths, representing a 25 per cent increase over the 395 people killed in the same month in 2023.
Expressing concerns on this recently, President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Oluyemisi Adeaga, noted that this figure accounts for just reported road accidents.
Expressing concerns over the damning verdict by the WHO recently, the President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, noted that this figure accounts for just reported road accidents.
According to him, estimates claim that road accidents often underreported in Nigeria may exceed 500 per cent of the reported numbers. He added that despite efforts from the WHO, the Ministry of Transport (MOT), and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), road traffic deaths remain a critical issue, with 1.35 million fatalities recorded yearly.
Last month, the FRSC reported a seven per cent rise in road crash fatalities in 2024, with 5,421 lives lost compared to 5,081 deaths in 2023. In the Corps’ yearly performance analysis released in Abuja, 9,570 road crashes were witnessed nationwide in 2024 representing a 10 per cent reduction from the 10,617 crashes recorded in 2023.
Despite the reduction, the number of fatalities increased, and this, he attributed mainly to human errors. However, stakeholders feel that reviving the corps policy for general medical fitness, and alcohol and drug tests for drivers nationwide could reduce the spike in deaths occasioned by road traffic crashes across the country.
In Nigeria, driving under the influence of alcohol is a major cause of road crashes.
Based on FRSC reports, about one per cent of fatal crashes are due to drunk driving. This share is probably under-reported when considering the 21 per cent average in International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) countries.
The maximum authorised Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is 0.5 g/l. But a new law, which is still under review and awaiting federal government approval, includes a maximum BAC of 0.2 g/l for novice drivers (less than one year’s driving experience) and 0.0 g/l for commercial drivers.
Government patrol teams can test any driver suspected of drunk driving. In 2016, a major random breath testing survey was conducted in collaboration with the Beer Sectoral Group. Of the almost 6, 000 drivers interviewed, over 85 per cent did not know the legal BAC limit.
Among the respondents, 78 per cent were professional drivers with 10 per cent having a BAC level above the legal limit. Among non-professional drivers, 13 per cent had a BAC level above the legal limit.
According to a safety advocate, Bolanle Edwards, there is a need to enforce consistent implementation of the National Road Traffic Regulations 2012, which mandates annual medical fitness tests, including drug and alcohol screening for drivers.
For Edwards, making these tests compulsory and actionable is critical for several reasons, including accountability as drivers found under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be identified and penalised before they cause harm.
She added that it can also serve as a deterrence, because when drivers know that regular tests are mandatory, it can discourage substance abuse among them as well as maintain safety standards. She emphasised that routine testing ensures that only mentally and physically fit individuals operate vehicles, thereby reducing the likelihood of impaired driving.
To implement this effectively, Edwards advised that authorities should partner with accredited medical facilities to conduct tests, develop a centralised database to track compliance and enforce strict penalties, such as license suspension, for non-compliance, or positive test results.
The safety expert, who is also the Founder of Strap and Safe Child Foundation, noted that while the FRSC has made significant strides, its capacity to enforce regulations and ensure safety needs to be greatly improved.
To make the FRSC more proactive, the safety advocate called for enhanced funding and training by allocating improved resources for recruitment, training, and equipping officers for effective enforcement of laws, technology integration through implementation of AI-powered traffic cameras, breathalyzers, and data analytics for real-time monitoring and response.
She also called for Public-Private Partnerships to improve funding and expertise in safety campaigns, as well as, education of road users on the dangers of impaired driving while also encouraging citizen reporting of reckless behaviours.
Other interventions, she recommended include: strengthening existing laws to impose stricter penalties for violations, including imprisonment for recurrent offenders; regular and surprise checkpoints focused on drug and alcohol testing, mandatory refresher courses for drivers to ensure that they understand road safety rules and the consequences of violations, and promoting safe commuting options to mitigate risks.
According to her: “The reported 4,338 deaths between January and October 2024, a 4.5 per cent increase compared to 2023, highlights the urgent need for actionable solutions. Compulsory drug testing; a more accountable FRSC, and holistic interventions can significantly reduce these numbers.
“Let advocates, authorities, and stakeholders collectively prioritise road safety and safeguard lives,” she added. An Assistant Corps Marshal and Corps Public Education Officer FRSC Headquarters, Abuja, Olusegun Ogungbemide, gave hope for the revival of drug tests for drivers. He also stressed that empowering FRSC officials to operate at night could help in enforcement, and an eventual reduction of road traffic crashes on the highways.
According to him, a majority of these crashes occur at night when officials are not on the road, adding that while there was no law prohibiting night journeys, enforcement is difficult because officials are not allowed to carry guns. He stressed that the agency only advocates for people to know the ills involved in night travels before opting for it because given widespread insecurity and the rate of crashes, “we feel that when there’s any crash, help is not always available because we are not there, and visibility is also very low
He said: “You would recall that after the Jigawa incident, Mr President mandated the FRSC to up its game at night. But one thing is certain, if you want to save someone, you should save yourself first.
“First of all, the safety of our men is very important, and that is why it is imperative for us to have standby squads. There is a need for firearms squads that would play critical roles when we are out on normal patrols at night, or on rescue operations. Even when many claim that the police are there, FRSC officials still encounter a lot of hazards during rescue operations. Even if NSCDC operatives are there, they all have their mandate to execute.
“Additionally, the FRSC emergency response time is 15 minutes, but I don’t know that of the police, or the NSCDC. If I receive a call now that somebody is bleeding as a result of a crash and I have my patrol team on the ground (because they operate on a 24-hour basis) I will not need to call the police to alert them that we need a backup because we are going for a night rescue,” he said.
Highlighting the exigency of emergency during safety operations, Ogungbemide, noted that while police officers need approval from their Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) before accompanying FRSC officers for rescue operations, that cannot be sustained within 15 minutes because somebody’s life is involved.
He emphasised the need for FRSC officers to carry arms, saying that it would also enhance their night patrol because there is no way they can adjudicate their own safety.
Also commenting on the rising number of road crashes, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed stressed that most crashes were caused by preventable factors such as fatigue, speed violations, dangerous driving, and poor vehicle maintenance. He also noted that overloading and transporting passengers in haulage vehicles contributed significantly to crash fatalities.
To further curb these crashes, the corps has intensified collaboration with the judiciary through mobile court sittings, during which 1,013 offenders were arraigned last year. Of these, 923 were convicted, three were imprisoned, and 117 discharged.
Mohammed urged road users to prioritise safety and adhere to traffic regulations to minimise crashes and fatalities in 2025. Muhammed reiterated the FRSC’s commitment to reducing road crashes through increased public awareness, enforcement, and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
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