Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
The Delta state Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Wednesday in Asaba, kick-started its week-long enlightenment campaign to enlighten against the use of expired and substandard tyres.
The Deputy Corps Marshall, Operations, Mr. Chidi Nwachukwu, who flagged-off the mega sensitization rally, tagged “Know Your Tyre” which held at the Benfiko Park, told motorists and members of the public that the campaign was to curb tyre burst and related road crashes.
Nwachukwu explained that all tyres have a four-year life span from the day of manufacture, urging motorist to always check the manufacturing date to avoid buying expired tyres. “The expiration date is usually indicated on the sidewalls of the tyre. It comes in four digits; the first two digits shows the week the tyre was manufactured while the last two represent the year of manufacture. For example, if the numbers are 0514, it means that the tyre was manufactured in fifth week of 2014.”
While advising drivers to maintain specified tyre pressure to improve vehicle safety and extend tyre life, he encouraged car owners to replace their tyres after covering a maximum of 80, 000 kilometres whether it has been used for four years or not.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Delta state Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Rindom Kumven, said a survey carried out by the corps revealed a very disturbing trend of how motorists risk the lives of passengers by using worn-out tyres, tokunbo tyres and expired tyres.
“When it comes to vehicle safety, tyres are very important as they provide traction, basis movement and maneuverability and deadens the impact of vibration. FRSC carried out area wide survey on 2486 vehicles and 1024 tyres from 2011 to 2015,” he said.
Kumven said non-compliance with instruction on tyre; ignorance; control challenge; cost; and poor condition of the road and failed portions were the major reasons for the use of worn-out and expired tyres, according to the survey reports.
“In view of the above, FRSC organised a stakeholders’ forum on safe tyre usage and has embarked on public enlightenment on tyres nationwide. In this public enlightenment, free vehicle safety checks are carried out on tyres to enlighten members of the public.”
Inspite of the heavy rains in Asaba and its environs, the FRSC mega sensitization rally was well attended by stakeholders including vehicle drivers, vulcanizers, tyre dealers, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), representatives of the Delta state Ministry of Transport, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Special Marshals, Nigeria police, Immigration and Prison services, motor park associations, among others.
During the interactive session, participants who commended the FRSC for initiating the campaign to save lives, promised to inform other members of the public to be wary of the existence of substandard or expired tyres, even as they called on the federal and state governments to improve on the current condition of Nigerian road which are also responsible for accidents across the country
Highlight of the event was the practical demonstration on the means of identifying expiry dates, genuiness and use of meter guage in tyres.
Recall that the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, had recently directed Zonal and Sector Heads of Operations of the commission to embark on sensitisation of motorists on the dangers of using expired tyres, saying that the step was part of the efforts to minimise road crashes.
The corps marshal said that FRSC had recorded significant success in checking crashes involving articulated vehicles and was out to replicate same success on vehicles with expired tyres.
***Read Blank NEWS Online for regular news updates…Also like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter @blanknewsonlin1
Advertise in Blank NEWS Online.
Visit Us @:
www.blanknewsonline.wordpress.com
Email: blanknewsonline@ymail.com
Phone: +234 8037 644 337
E.I.C: Albert Eruorhe Ograka
