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FRSC launches sensitization programme on child Safety in vehicles

…Says such constitutes 70 % of traffic offences

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) RS2.113 Ikotun, Unit Command, Lagos has launched a sensitization programme to educate parents and drivers on the dangers of allowing underage children to sit in the front seat of vehicles and the gains of seatbelt use.

the programme, themed “Safety of Children in Vehicles,” aims to raise awareness on the importance of child safety while travelling in vehicles.

Edor

The Unit Commander, of Ikotun Unit Command, Assistant Corps Commander Florence Edor, who made the call during the sensitization activities said the programme, themed “Safety of Children in Vehicles,” aims to raise awareness on the importance of child safety while travelling in vehicles.

Stated that about 70% of traffic offenders in the area are mostly underage children sitting in the front seat and not using seatbelts.

Unit Commander Edor and her team distributing flyers

Some of the flyers being given out had messages such as: “Do not lap a child while driving, do not sit on the front passenger seat with a little baby, children under the age of 12 should sit in the back seat. Make sure you fasten the seat belt on the child before taking off.

Further messages on the flyers include: Ensure that your child is not playing with vehicle devices or door handles while in the vehicle, you actually need a child car seat if you are conveying a baby in the vehicle, pin down or lock the door knobs when your child is in the back seat, and do not answer phone calls while driving, especially when driving children, among others.

The sensitization exercise started as early as 7:00 am with a public address system mounted on an FRSC truck and sharing of flyers from Idimu road in Ikotun to Ijegun roundabout, Abaranje, and ended at Governor’s road at 8:20 am.

The message was delivered in major Nigerian languages, including English, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and pidgin English, to ensure it reached a wider audience.

Asst. Corps Commander Edor, who spoke to some of the drivers, admonished them to put the safety of the children above every other consideration.

She revealed, “We’ve realized that we have an issue with underage children sitting in the front of vehicles, especially while taking them to school, and it’s quite rampant within this jurisdiction.

“The percentage is about 70 percent. So, we decided to go out and do public sensitization to educate them before we start arresting offenders. It’s a serious issue here, and we can’t allow it to continue. Our children are our future hope.”

Edor emphasized that not having a car is no justification for endangering a child; many families squeeze their children onto motorcycles, putting them at risk.

“It’s not justified to put your children’s lives at risk just because you don’t have a vehicle. It’s better to take a bus or a taxi instead of risking your life and that of your entire family.

“When you put them on a bike, they’re not protected if anything happens. So, I advise that they take a bus or you take a car to go to school. Better still, wake up early and walk them to school. They’re precious gifts from God.”

The Unit Commander cautioned parents and the motoring public to note that the front of a car is a common point of impact in accidents, and a child in the front is more exposed to severe injuries.

She said the unit frowned at the rate at which parents abuse their children in the name of taking them to school and warned school proprietors to desist from this abuse. She revealed, “From January to November 2025, a total of 170 Child Seating Position Violation (CPV) cases were recorded.”

Within these past months, with particular emphasis on ember months, counting from August, we recorded: August – 20 CPV offenders, September – 19, October – 30, and November – 20. These figures are part of the 4,387 total number of traffic infractions committed within our unit during these eleven months.

During the sensitization exercise, the Unit Commander engaged parents, children, and some school bus drivers, clarifying the dangers of these abuses.

A woman who identified herself as Rhoda thanked the FRSC and promised not to endanger her children’s lives anymore.

A driver from one of the private schools in the Governor’s Road area thanked the Unit Commander for the sensitization.

Some school children who were hurrying to school that morning expressed satisfaction with the information being relayed to them. One of them called it an ‘FRSC aural alarm’.