Vehicle overloading endangers lives, damages roads, FRSC warns

The Federal Road Safety Corps has warned that vehicle overloading threatens lives, damages road infrastructure and undermines Nigeria’s transportation economy.

The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, gave the warning on Thursday at the National Breakfast Policy Dialogue and launch of the National Movement for Safe Loading and Safe Roads.

Mohammed said overloading was not merely a traffic violation but a broader road safety, infrastructure, logistics and economic development concern.

He said, “Vehicle overloading is not simply a traffic violation. It is a road safety, infrastructure, logistics and economic development issue.”

According to him, excessive loads compromise braking, steering and vehicle stability, while accelerating vehicle deterioration, increasing crash risks and contributing to the premature deterioration of roads.

” Excessive loads compromise braking, steering and vehicle stability, accelerate vehicle deterioration, increase crash risks and contribute to the premature deterioration of our roads, “he said.

The Corps Marshal also warned against mixed and improper loading, noting that the danger extended beyond the weight of cargo to what was being carried, how it was combined, positioned and secured.

He said, “The inappropriate combination of passengers and cargo, incompatible or dangerous materials, as well as poorly secured or unevenly distributed loads, creates serious risks to drivers, passengers and other road users.”

Mohammed said the challenge was particularly significant in the haulage and logistics sector, where pressure to maximise every journey could encourage unsafe practices.

He said no reduction in transportation costs or commercial benefit was worth the loss of human life, stressing that vehicles should only carry loads they were designed, licensed and safely configured to transport.

The Corps Marshal said Nigeria’s dependence on the safe movement of agricultural produce, raw materials, manufactured goods, fuel and essential commodities made road safety critical to economic development.

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He said, “A safe transportation system is therefore not an impediment to economic development; it is a foundation for it.”

Mohammed noted that the consequences of overloading were borne by different sectors of the economy, from government and road users to businesses and families affected by crashes.

He said, “When overloading damages our roads, government bears the cost. When it damages vehicles, operators bear the cost. When it delays the movement of goods, businesses and consumers bear the cost. But when it causes a fatal crash, a Nigerian family bears a cost that money cannot replace. We must therefore reject the false choice between commercial efficiency and road safety.”

The Corps Marshal said the FRSC would continue to enforce the law firmly and professionally but stressed that enforcement alone could not end overloading.

He called for shared responsibility among cargo owners, shippers, loading agents, transporters, fleet operators, drivers, regulators and government.

Mohammed said, “Those who order, determine, load, authorise and transport cargo must accept responsibility for its safety consequences.”

He urged cargo owners and shippers to accurately declare weights and insist on safe loading, while operators should maintain their vehicles and comply with approved weight limits.

He also advised drivers to reject unsafe, improperly mixed or inadequately secured loads.

According to him, the FRSC will strengthen enforcement, public education, stakeholder engagement, intelligence-led operations and the use of technology and data to improve compliance.

Mohammed said the National Movement for Safe Loading and Safe Roads should not be regarded as an FRSC initiative alone but as a national movement involving government, industry, transport operators, drivers, regulators, professional bodies, civil society, development partners and the media.

He said the initiative would culminate in the adoption and signing of the Abuja Declaration 2026, which he urged stakeholders to treat as a national compact containing clear responsibilities, measurable commitments, timelines and mechanisms for monitoring progress.