Hazy weather: Lagos sensitizes residents on safety measures

As part of measures to further ensure sanity on the highways across the state, the Lagos State Government has urged motorists and residents on the need to be safety conscious particularly, during and after the yuletide period.

General Manager Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Mr. Michael Akindele, who gave the advice yesterday, stressed that the measure became necessary in view of the pervading adverse weather condition and attendant road traffic accidents and other emergencies during the festive period.

Akindele advised motorists to be conscious of the foggy weather condition, throughout the day which is associated with the harmattan haze.

The LASEMA boss urged motorists “to embark on daily routine check of their vehicles before hitting the road. Aside from the wipers, brakes, non-defective windscreen and functional lights, it is also instructive to check radiators for water, and all the tyres. Car owners should also avoid expired tyres and to keep vehicle engines within normal range.”

In the same vein, he advised residents to adhere to necessary precautionary measures to avoid fire incidents that could have disastrous consequences.

He said residents “should avoid storage of highly inflammable materials such as petrol and kerosene, electrical appliances should also be switched off whenever they are not in use, avoid bush burning and use of fireworks because all these can cause fire outbreak, which most times leads to unnecessary loss of lives and properties.”

Stressing the need for residents to be vigilant by monitoring strange movements around their vicinity, he said residents could make use of the 767 or 112 toll free emergency numbers.

Besides, he said law enforcement agencies have been put on red alert to arrest and prosecute traffic offenders such as driving against traffic, overloading, under-age driving, speed limit violation, usage of mobile phone while driving, non-use of seat belt and other traffic/ criminal offences.