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Jail term awaits users of earphone on wheels – FRSC

Boboye Oyeyemi, Corp Marshal, FRSC

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Drivers who make or receive calls behind the wheels on handheld gadgets or handsfree as wireless gadgets risk six months in jail according to the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC).

The corps said it is illegal to receive or make telephone calls while driving regardless of the gadget used for such communication which include but not limited to AirPods, EarPods.

Bisi Kazeem, FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, who stated this recently said driving requires total concentration and road users should not take any risk on their lives.

In a release sited by Nation update, he Stated that It is an offence to use mobile telephones in any form while driving,

The National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 he said prohibits making or receiving calls

while driving.

Kazeem

The FRSC image maker stated “It is illegal. Driving entails 100 per cent concentration so you cannot be distracted. It is there in the regulation.

“It is clear from the provisions of Reg 166 (1) that it is illegal to make phone call using EarPods earphone or whatever means.

“It is also clear that phone call is not restricted to telephone conversation between two or more people.

“Anything that will distract you while driving must be avoided. When we do public enlightenment, we even discourage drivers talking to passengers which could cause distraction.

“The law may not make it an offence but at the same time, it can distract you, even changing your cassette (while driving) can distract you and result to accident.”

He warned that there would soon be a nationwide clampdown on persons driving with earphones or other hands-free devices.

The delay in enforcing prohibition of hands-free while driving he said has led many to assume that the option was safe in Nigeria.

women driver with a cell phone in hand while driving

Kazeem implored motorists to discard anything that could distract them on wheels, such things he said could wait as life has no duplicate anywhere, anytime.

Safety and consciousness while on wheels save the life of the driver, those in the vehicle and other road users the spokesperson concluded.