LASTMA seeks clerics’ support to curb road crashes, traffic violations

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has called on religious leaders across Lagos State to make road safety advocacy a regular feature of their sermons and congregational teachings as part of efforts to curb reckless driving, traffic violations and avoidable road crashes.

The agency said religious institutions, through their moral authority and influence over worshippers, could play a significant role in changing motorists’ attitudes and promoting responsible road use.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, made the appeal during the investiture, rebranding and induction of more than 100 LASTMA Mayors (Volunteers), an initiative designed to strengthen the agency’s grassroots engagement and complement its traffic management operations before, during and after the forthcoming Yuletide festivities in Lagos.

In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, Bakare-Oki said road safety education should go beyond government enforcement and conventional public enlightenment campaigns.

He urged Christian and Muslim clerics, as well as leaders of other religious institutions, to incorporate traffic safety messages into sermons, Friday Jumu’ah prayers, Sunday worship services, fellowship meetings, youth assemblies and other religious gatherings.

The general manager called on religious leaders to consistently caution their followers against excessive speeding, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances, distracted driving, indiscriminate parking and deliberate disobedience to traffic regulations.

He said religious leaders, given their spiritual authority, extensive congregational networks and influence within communities, were strategically positioned to complement government efforts to reduce road crashes, protect pedestrians and promote responsible conduct among road users.

Bakare-Oki maintained that the sanctity of human life, which is central to religious teachings, should be reflected in the conduct of motorists on public roads, warning that reckless driving and disregard for traffic regulations could have devastating consequences for innocent citizens, families and society.

He described such conduct as more than a breach of traffic laws, noting that it also represented civic irresponsibility and a failure to recognise the safety and rights of other road users.

The LASTMA boss stressed that sustainable traffic management could not be achieved through government intervention alone, insisting that the cooperation of critical stakeholders was necessary to build a safer and more orderly transportation environment.

He identified religious institutions, market associations, transport unions, community development associations and civil society organisations as important partners in promoting traffic discipline and responsible motoring.

He further urged religious leaders to use their established communication networks and community outreach platforms to educate their followers on compliance with prescribed speed limits, compulsory seat-belt usage, observance of traffic signals and pedestrian rights of way.

He also cautioned motorists against driving against traffic, popularly known as one-way, and encouraged regular mechanical assessment of vehicles before journeys to reduce the risk of preventable road incidents.

Bakare-Oki equally called for increased use of LASTMA’s toll-free short code, 3367, through which motorists and other road users can report road crashes, vehicle breakdowns, traffic obstructions and other incidents requiring the agency’s intervention.

He said preserving human lives on the highways was a collective responsibility that required the participation of government, religious institutions and members of the public.

“The preservation of human life on our highways is a collective moral obligation. A safer Lagos cannot be achieved through governmental enforcement alone; it demands responsible citizenship, spiritual guidance and the collective conscience of society,” he said.