The Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), Gombe State Command said that witches were not responsible for road traffic crashes but recklessness of road users.
The Sector Commander, Gombe State Command of FRSC, Mr Samson Kaura, stated this in Gombe on Thursday while briefing journalists on efforts to ensure safety during the 2024 Ember Months.
Kaura said that the widely-held belief by some Nigerians that evil spirits were responsible for road crashes during Ember Months was totally false and misleading.
He said that contrary to that belief that road crashes were a manipulation of witches, major causes of most auto crashes were over speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, and drugs, bad tyres and poor state of cars.
According to him, motorists often hide under such falsehoods to avoid being blamed for crashes.
He said that the last four months of the year was marked with increased road traffics in view of the fact that farmers were harvesting and transporting their goods.
He stated that others have wedding and other social events planned for the periods which result in high volume of traffic and “any recklessness in this regard will lead to increased crashes too.
“So this is to disabuse our minds from the beliefs that witches are the ones causing increased crashes during this period of the year.
“There is no scientific proof that crashes are caused by witches as crashes are caused by human, mechanical and environmental factors,” he said.
Kaura advised motorists in the state to always stick to traffic rules and obey all road signs while avoiding the temptation of hurrying while using roads in the state.
He said that the command would strengthen enforcement and visibility across the state towards ensuring safety as well as quick response in cases of crashes to reduce fatalities.(NAN)