By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has officially launched its 2025 Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitization Campaign in Katsina, with a call on motorists to take full responsibility for their safety and avoid distractions while driving.
Addressing journalists at the flag-off ceremony in Katsina, the Sector Commander, Corps Commander Maxwell Lede Kaltungo, said the campaign, themed “Take Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving,” aims to reduce the alarming rate of road crashes and fatalities associated with the year-end rush.
Kaltungo described the Ember Months as a critical period marked by increased vehicular movement, higher traffic volume, and a surge in road crashes. He noted that human factors such as speeding, fatigue, drug influence, and distracted driving remain the leading causes of road accidents.
According to him, FRSC records from Operation Zero Tolerance 2024 showed that 21 persons lost their lives, while 167 others sustained injuries from 21 reported crashes across Katsina State between December 15, 2024, and January 15, 2025. Nationally, 432 people were killed and 2,070 injured during the same period.
“Though there has been a 13 per cent reduction in crashes between the second and third quarters of 2025, every life lost on our roads is one too many,” he stated.
Kaltungo commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for his continuous support to the FRSC, particularly through road infrastructure development and inter-agency collaboration, which he said have improved motoring safety across the state.
He announced that the FRSC has lined up several activities for the campaign, including free vehicle safety checks, motor park rallies, community town halls, and advocacy visits to traditional and religious leaders.
The Sector Commander also revealed plans for an International Conference on Road Crash Victims for Africa, scheduled to hold from November 16–18, 2025, in partnership with the KRSD Road Safety Foundation, focusing on post-crash care and emergency response.
Kaltungo urged motorists to see road safety as a personal duty and a moral responsibility. “Road crashes are not accidents—they are preventable tragedies. Let us drive to stay alive,” he said.
He concluded by calling on all stakeholders, especially the media, to continue supporting the Corps’ campaign to make the 2025 Ember Months a season of safety, not sorrow.
