A renewed caution has been made to the Federal House of Representatives to allow the Speed Limiter implementation intended by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) from April 1, 2016 beginning with all commercial vehicles, take effect in order to save more lives that are lost due to uncontrollable high speed by motorist on our highways. This renewed warning by a Transport Expert, Mr Chidubem Timothy, Head of Operations, Peace Mass Transit, came in Lagos while commenting and reviewing the state of the Nigerian roads vis-a-vis incessant accidents that have claimed many lives in recent times.
Chidubem made his assertion, “Nigeria is overdue for Speed Limiter device implementation now. In this modern age where speeding is a very impulsive behavioral trait, controlling speed by a modern technology fitted to work per vehicle is more important rather than installing a technology that is not feasible to limit vehicle speed in any way. For emphasis sake, Spider technology have been touted in some quarters as alternative to Speed Limiter devices on highways, but will the government be able to install at least 64,000 spiders on our over 32,000 kilometer highways considering the huge cost outlay per spider in the next 5years or so? How many more lives would we have lost in that 5years? Would it be feasible to secure such huge number of Spider installations, or even provide the internet and electricity facilities to manage this major roadinstallations?”
Rather, the Head of Operations of the leading transport companystated further that what is more effective for FRSC to manage its road safety mandate and reduce the alarming carnage on roads caused by accidents is the Speed Limiter installations in vehicles. The device, according to the Expert,“acts like speed governors that limit the attainment of a vehicle to a pre-programmed maximum speed. These devices work with any type of vehicle technology including injector or carburetor fueled engine systems. Speed Limiters also contribute to safety as well as reduce fuel use and tyre wear, with the speed set at a level optimum for these factors. Even if an accident will be inevitable, its impact will be very significantly reduced. That the Speed Limiter is getting worldwide acclaim cannot be faulted because right now, we have major car manufactures like General Motors implementing Speed Limiters at the point of manufacture in the UK for their latest Vauxhall Astra brand as well as some latest Suzuki models”, the Expert has said.
The FRSC as part of its constitutional role as enshrined in the FRSC Establishment Act and National Road Traffic Regulation, 2004, have been empowered to implement Speed Limiter installations in vehicles as a key measure to controlling speed that ultimately reduce incidences of road accidents and attendant loss of lives and economic value. In arriving at the best decision of Speed Limiter scheme for the public, the FRSC had involved the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) formerly National Automotive Council (NAC) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) in qualifying credible private sector operators, some of them with foreign technical partners who are worth their salt having implemented same across countries in Europe, America, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, for the April 1, 2016 enforcement date.
