The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will intensify the use of breathalyser tests nationwide as part of its annual Operation Zero campaign scheduled to begin on Dec. 15.
The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Olusegun Ogungbemide, disclosed this in an interview on Thursday.
A breathalyser test is used by traffic officers to measure the amount of alcohol in a person’s breath. The device estimates Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) to determine intoxication levels and is widely deployed to curb drunk driving.
Ogungbemide said the FRSC had consistently used breathalysers to check drivers for alcohol consumption, despite public perceptions that the devices were no longer in use. He stressed that breathalysers remained a key enforcement tool, especially during the ember months when road travel increases and crash risks are higher.
“The use of breathalysers has been one of the tools used by the Corps to confirm the status of drivers, either while at the park or while on transit, and this has been the tradition,” he said.
He explained that although the Corps could not test every driver on the road due to operational realities, officers conduct targeted checks through random sampling.
“We pick at sampling randomly and confirm if drivers are under the influence of alcohol. Those that are under the influence of alcohol are booked accordingly, and this has been going on right from the beginning of the year,” he said.
According to him, random sampling helps the Corps identify high-risk drivers without disrupting traffic flow or causing unnecessary delays for commuters.
Ogungbemide added that the FRSC had monitored driver behaviour throughout the year but would scale up checks as the festive season approaches, noting that drunk driving remains a major cause of fatal crashes.
“So we are going to emphasise more as we enter this season. When we start Operation Zero on Dec. 15, I am very sure you will see more of it,” he said.
He said the Operation Zero campaign would feature increased patrols, stricter monitoring at motor parks, and enforcement activities targeting excessive speeding, risky night-time driving, and alcohol-related crashes.