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FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0297
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000322 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE PASS OES/S - FOSTERNC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SOCI UNDP UNGA EU NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN DISTRACTED DRIVING STATISTICS 
 
REF: 10 STATE 703; 10 ABUJA 248 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1.  The Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps provided annual 
statistics and information regarding the country's recent uptick in 
distracted driving in response to Embassy's demarche (reftel A). 
Cell phone usage while operating a motor vehicle in Nigeria is 
illegal under federal law, yet, the Federal Road Safety Corps 
observed an upsurge in the number of accidents resulting from 
distracted driving from 2008 and 2009.  The Federal Road Safety 
Corps has coupled law enforcement efforts with broad public 
awareness campaigns in its strategy to address this quantified 
increase in distracted driving in Nigeria.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
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PREVALENCE OF CELL PHONE USAGE WHILE DRIVING 
 
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¶2.  Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Special Assistant to the Corps 
Marshal Janet Adepegba reported that the prevalence of cell phone 
usage by Nigerian motorists while driving has become a source of 
concern.  Motorists receiving and making calls, reading, typing, 
and sending text messages has led to an increase in traffic 
accidents and its attendant consequences.  Precise statistics 
concerning the prevalence of cell phone usage while driving are not 
available, although the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) 
estimates that there are roughly 62,988,492 active mobile telephone 
subscribers in the country, up from 33,858,022 as recently as 2006. 
An average increase of 50 percent of mobile telephone subscribers 
per year from 2001 to 2006 reflects the rapid growth of mobile 
telephone usage in Nigeria. 
 
 
 
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CELL PHONE USAGE LAWS 
 
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¶3.  The FRSC sought legislation making the use of cell phones while 
driving an offence punishable under federal law in 2007.  Part II, 
Section 10, Sub-Section 4(ff) of the Federal Road Safety Commission 
Act of 2007 known as Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) 
Act, 2007 is the section of federal law that makes the use of a 
cell phone while driving illegal in Nigeria.  The National Road 
Traffic Regulations 2004 Section 80 (7) and the Nigerian Highway 
Code (2 Edition, 2008) reinforce this federal law. 
 
 
 
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ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND FATALITIES 
 
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¶4.  Observed statistical trends indicate that while the overall 
number of accidents are decreasing, distracted driving-related 
accidents as well as the number of people injured as a result are 
increasing.  Total number of annual accidents, both related and 
unrelated to distracted driving, declined by four percent, from 
11,341 in 2008 to 10,854 in 2009.  However, the portion of 
accidents which occurred as a result of distracted driving 
increased by 12 percent, from 680 in 2008 to 760 in 2009.  Data 
from the FRSC also illustrates a 71 percent spike in the number of 
people injured in accidents involving distracted drivers, from 
 
ABUJA 00000322  002 OF 002 
 
 
1,119 in 2008 to 1,909 in 2009.  However, fatalities resulting from 
accidents involving distracted drivers declined by 14 percent, from 
333 in 2008 to 285 in 2009.  (See attached Distracted Driving 
Related Accidents graph.) 
 
 
 
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NATIONAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS 
 
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¶5.  The FRSC reported that it is reaching the general public by 
pursuing public awareness, education campaigns, and disseminating 
information through print and electronic media.  The FRSC, in 
conjunction with National Youth Service Corps, has mounted a 
nationwide public awareness and education campaign on the dangers 
associated with the use of mobile phones while driving.  The FRSC 
and National Youth Service Corps members already deployed to 
primary and secondary schools focus a portion of their address to 
students on the public health implications of driving while 
distracted.  Children are encouraged to remind adult drivers of the 
law that prohibits the use of cell phones while driving.  These 
public health messages are also being shared at motor parks through 
organized seminars and workshops for stakeholders.  The FRSC 
utilizes electronic and print media, handbills, and posters to 
educate the general public. 
 
 
 
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EFFECTIVENESS OF LAWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR OTHER EDUCATIONAL 
EFFORTS 
 
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¶6.  The FRSC has in the past three years carried out enforcement to 
ensure compliance on non-usage of mobile phones while driving.  A 
total of 3,651 arrests were made in 2007 for offences related to 
use of mobile phones while driving.  The number of arrests 
increased by 23 percent in 2008 to 4,769, but decreased by 13 
percent to 4,204 in 2009 due to enforcement.  (See attached 
Distracted Driving Arrests graph.) 
 
 
 
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COMMENT 
 
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¶7.  Embassy was pleased to learn of the FRSC's interest and 
commitment to the tracking, enforcement, and sensitization of the 
general public to the dangers of distracted driving.  The FRSC has 
already reached out to the U.S. Office of Security Operations in 
Abuja to benefit from the National Guard State Partnership Program 
(SPP), through which four FRSC officers are today receiving highway 
patrol training in Sacramento and Oakland, California.  Embassy is 
working to find a way to send Nigerian prosecutors to the U.S. to 
receive formal training in developing legal cases against 
distracted drivers.  Corps Marshal Osita Chidoka told Embassy 
during an earlier meeting (reftel B) that the FRSC's biggest need 
in this area was to find a way to convict drivers who denied that 
they were using cell phones at the time they were charged for this 
offense.  END COMMENT. 
SANDERS