FMU turn to rally drivers to champion road safety
FMU president Okee (left) instructs a motorist on road regulations during an exercise conducted by the rally boddy and traffic police in May along the Kampala-Masaka road. Photo by Elvis Senono
KAMPALA. Two months back, as part of their social responsibility activities ahead of the Masaka SMC Challenge rally, domestic motorsport governing body FMU carried out a road sensitization campaign on the Kampala-Masaka highway.
The campaign at the time according to federation president Dusman Okee was aimed at sensitizing drivers against over -speeding.
“As road users, we are many times to blame for road accidents. We therefore appeal to road users in this wet season not to over-speed,” stated Okee then.
In the ensuing period, a number of accidents were reported with the highway claiming more than 25 lives in the past two weeks.
At least 200 people have been killed and nearly double that number has been injured in road accidents on the highway in the last six months.
“We have got a lot of feedback since then and we are reloading the safety campaign this time,” Okee told Daily Monitor yesterday.
The federation, according to Okee, will this time use prominent rally drivers to spearhead this campaign ahead of the UMOSPOC rally due in Hoima and Masindi from July 22-24.
“We want to show the public that there is a difference between rally drivers and other public road users,” he explained.
“Rally drivers can overspeed because they are highly protected, have roll cages and have designated routes and therefore can afford to drive fast,” he further stated. Okee also believes the design on some roads is a major cause of accidents.
“Some sections on Masaka road are like tiles not gravel so even if you drive at 5km/hr you can skid off the road,” he expounded.
