FRSC Screens 500 Drivers In Abuja
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in collaboration with BATMedics, has screened about 500 drivers and motorists for visual impairment as part of a National Driver Health and Road Safety Outreach Programme organised to commemorate the 2026 World Sight Day in Abuja.
The initiative, held at the Abuja Medical Store (ACMS), beside Jabi Park, marked a significant shift towards preventive road safety, with the organisers focusing on driver health and fitness as critical factors in preventing road traffic crashes.
The free medical outreach provided beneficiaries with professional eye examinations and medical guidance, while eligible cases requiring further intervention are expected to benefit from subsequent treatment and surgical support.
Representing the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, mni, FCA, FCTI, CPFA, the Assistant Corps Marshal in charge of Special Duties and External Relations, ACM Ibrahim M. Bazama, said the Corps was increasingly prioritising prevention, early intervention and human wellbeing alongside its traditional enforcement responsibilities.
He stressed that good vision remains indispensable to safe driving, noting that motorists must be able to identify road signs, pedestrians, traffic signals, vehicles, obstacles and changing road conditions within seconds while driving.
According to him, a mechanically sound vehicle can only be as safe as the person behind its wheel.
He described the outreach as “not simply a medical exercise, but a critical road safety intervention,” explaining that every driver whose vision is examined, corrected or appropriately treated represents a step towards safer roads and the preservation of lives.
The Director-General of BATMedics, Ojeje Onimisi, also underscored the importance of improving access to essential healthcare for professional drivers and other road users.
Onimisi reaffirmed BATMedics’ commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at improving the health, safety and productivity of Nigerians, particularly people whose daily responsibilities place them at the centre of the nation’s transportation system.
The FRSC said the collaboration demonstrated the importance of partnerships among government institutions, private organisations, medical professionals, transport stakeholders and civil society in tackling the multifaceted challenges of road traffic safety.
The Corps maintained that road safety begins long before a crash occurs, stressing that deliberate efforts must be made to identify and eliminate risk factors before they result in injuries, fatalities or destruction of property.
It therefore urged motorists, particularly commercial drivers, to take visual challenges such as blurred vision, difficulty seeing at night and persistent eye strain seriously, warning that delaying medical attention could put the lives of drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other road users at risk.
The Corps Marshal commended BATMedics for the initiative and called on other organisations with the capacity and goodwill to emulate the partnership by taking essential health and safety services directly to communities and road users.
The FRSC reaffirmed that driver fitness remains a central component of its preventive road safety strategy, noting that the most effective road traffic crash is one that is prevented before it happens.
