The Federal Road Safety Corps has sent 80 persons to mental health facilities for various traffic offences, as traffic marshals commence pilot exercise for new road safety enforcement policy.

Bisi Kazeem, the commission’s spokesperson, told PREMIUM TIMES in a chat on Sunday afternoon that the offenders were arrested between Saturday and Sunday.

The new policy kicked off on July 1.

The 80 persons were arrested for 86 offences which ranged from driving without seatbelts to making phone calls while driving, Mr. Kazeem said.

On Saturday, Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, deployed a team of road traffic marshals to major roads around Abuja, in a new operation codenamed ‘Cobra Squad.’

Mr. Kazeem said 19 people were arrested on the first day for 22 offences.

On Sunday, 61 offenders were arrested for 64 violations, Mr. Kazeem said.

Driving while making phone calls and driving without seatbelts were the most prevalent infractions — at 27 and 23 instances, respectively.

Mr. Oyeyemi said probing mental stability of road traffic offenders will help curb abuses and promote sanity on the road.

But some psychiatrists have criticised the policy as ‘reckless’ and ’embarrassing.’

Ambrose Lawani, a psychiatrist based in Benin City, said the FRSC did not consider some crucial factors before announcing the policy.

“They cannot implement psychiatric tests without putting key arrangements in place,” Mr. Lawani said.

For one, Mr. Lawani said, traffic offences are part of normal social misbehaviours that require only caution through fines rather than being seen as mental disorders.

Another major concern is that the policy “would be a serious distraction for psychiatric doctors in the country because of the high number of individuals that will be forced to take tests when those with genuine mental illnesses are not even getting the treatment they require,” Mr. Lawani said.

Similarly, he said FRSC did not outline what will happen to any offender shown to be suffering mental disorder after evaluation.

“Anyone found to be suffering mental disorder cannot be allowed to go home without proper treatment,” Mr. Lawani said. “If the person doesn’t have money, who will pick the bill?”

Dumping hundreds of drivers in mental health centres will only worsen the centres and little budget they receive, which has been stagnant since 2006, the psychiatrist said.

“Nigeria is in for a big embarrassment with this hasty and poorly-researched policy that will soon somersault like others before it,” he said.

The doctor advised the FRSC to consult psychiatrists across the country for a possible synergy on how the policy could be properly implemented without disrupting existing arrangements for mental health evaluation and treatment.

But Mr. Oyeyemi said mental evaluation requirement was not unusual in road traffic enforcement and likened it to the process of obtaining a driving licence.

“This is one of the criteria before you obtain a licence,” he said.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/235632-%e2%80%8efrsc-sends-80-traffic-offenders-mental-check.html

Front Page: Lalasticlala

Lol this government is run by clowns in khakis. Instead of handing out fines and suspending license they going to assume they are clinically insane. The vast majority won't be considered crazy. Funny this country considers reckless driving a mental health issue but not drug abuse.

cool, more money for those thieves again. Now it's going to be "Oga settle now else u go go for mental check up o"

Lies raise to the power 100

Why una just wan to get public attention at all cost, FRSC?

They need it, na only craze person go drink and drive

Incompetence

Dysfunctional system

When you put tax collectors as safety officers and hungry people are law enforcers how can u progress

The process was not properly evaluated and vetted for errors or test ran to ascertain any loopholes.

If they r serious, y not start from Lagos. Many danfo drivers go turn yaba customers

Blue3k:


Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/235632-%e2%80%8efrsc-sends-80-traffic-offenders-mental-check.html

Front Page: Lalasticlala

Oyeyemi, how many people conducted psychiatric test for drivers license?

Road safety can lie for Africa

the reverse us the case
..you as an officer, you know the offenders are okay..and you are insisting on mental diagnosis... that's wat too wayward of you

Wow. This is the most stupid law I have ever heard of. So, if someone talks on the phone or don't use a seatbelt in Nigeria, they are considered mad people? That law must have been passed by a mad set of people. So the real lunatics roaming the streets in rags will now compete with innocent drivers in psychiatric hospitals?

He

FRSC plan is so faulty. What they want to do is just shame offenders. But let me ask are they subjecting drivers of bullion vans and government convoy drivers to such tests? Those are people who need to be tested.
Okay ioy test me and find out am not "mental" what next?

When you think that you are normal but your friends and family have to visit you at Yaba left as an inmate because of traffic offence

Hmmmmm

lol

Misolaced priorities.
Dem go old for the matter.
Dem sef wan dey obtain
Imagine arresting 80 persons jus cause of no sest belt.
Naija too dull abeg.
What abt to fines or suspending drivers license

Na by seat belt.

Una go tire.
Una wan turn psychiatric hospital to kirikiri.
Where 500ppl go dey manage one small corner

All such requires is a fine and reorientation if the traffic rules to d person by caution or going back to driving skol

`

With the already overcrowded mental institutions, you still want to add drivers that don't use a seatbelt to them, are you going to pay the doctors extra money to access these people abi you think every doctor you see is a qualified shrink? messed up policy with a messed up organisation

The policy is silly and shortsighted! What is the mental examination meant to prove?

Psychiatrists for Seat belt offence?

They must be out of their mind

Stupid policy.

Who drives with seatbelt on in Nigeria?
Event the FRSC oga answers the phone while driving


These people just make a fool of themselves all the time