FRSC, NIA collaborate to promote safety on Nigerian roads

From left: Director General, Nigerian Insurers Association(NIA) Sunday Thomas; Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission Osita Chidoka and Board Member FRSC Jackie Umoru at the presentation in Abuja.

Chuks Udo Okonta

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) have renewed their commitment to making Nigerian roads safe and secure for motorists and the public. They hope to achieve this through effective enforcement of compulsory motor vehicle insurance, which ensures crash victims have adequate and prompt medical attention, and owners of damaged properties resulting from insured motor crashes are adequately compensated.  

Corps Marshal, FRSC Osita Chidoka, gave the assurance during the official presentation of some units of HP Elite Pad 900 by Nigerian Insurers Association to assist the FRSC in its verification of genuine insurance documents of motorist on Nigerian roads.  

Chidoka said the Commission was working out collaboration with relevant agencies and stakeholders including the Nigerian insurance industry through a technology platform that would promote right attitude of motorists and ensure safety and protection of road users.  

He said: “We have one solution that has multiple facets that would assist in guaranteeing safety of road users and motorist, and one of it is the new vehicle plate number which when concluded will help several agencies key in to make the roads safer and secure for the Nigerian people.  

 “Insurance industry in Nigeria has come of age because they have become more responsive to their obligations, so medical bills of crash victims should no longer be an issue, while crash vehicles also will no longer be abandoned on the roads, because insurance companies will pick the bill once the insurance is established.

 “A situation where hospitals or doctors reject crash victims or deny them treatment is over because the insurance companies will pay”

The Corps Marshal however sounded a note of warning that “No more will insurance companies refuse to pay their claims when there is accident, as we shall raise alarm and make such company face the law.”

Director General NIA Sunday Thomas, who led the delegation, said the Nigerian Insurance Industry appreciates the efforts being made by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at ensuring safety of Nigerian roads users.

He said the donation of units of HP Elite Pad 900 to the FRSC was to assist its fieldsmen ensure that vehicles on the road carry genuine insurance documents so that there would be compensation to victims who sustain injuries or die as result of crash.

“We see this collaboration as one that should enhance value creation for the Nigerian people and also enhance insurance sector contribution to the social and economic development of the nation,” Thomas stated.