A lot of people don’t know that street car race is banned in Nigeria and it’s been so since the promulgation of the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act of 2007 and the National Road Traffic Regulations of 2012 and those that engage in it are either ignorant of these laws or they are just blatant law breakers. These laws were enacted to stop street car races due to the danger it poses to the society and to enforce that these law breakers who engage in street car racing are brought to book.
The sole reason for this enactment prohibiting street car racing is because of the reckless and dangerous driving of those engaging in the sport which they regard as fun and cruising but very risky and dangerous for themselves and for other road users.
The FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION (ESTABLISHMENT) ACT, 2007 and NATIONAL ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS, 2012 are the laws that are enacted chiefly to make street car race illegal. S.228 of this act which is titled: prohibition of car and speed races provided thus: No person shall drive or cause to be driven, a vehicle on any public road for any car race, drag race, acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed, speed competition or for the purpose of establishing a speed record, except in an area designated or authorised for that purpose by the Commission.
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To this effect, public display of car driving skills, car racing on public roads, streets or on government owned facilities are highly prohibited unless the area has been designated for the purpose of the race either for sport or educational purpose as that time after obtaining necessary authorities and licenses from the law enforcement agencies.
People engage in car races for fun especially in big cities like Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Port Harcourt etc. Infant car racing is a big game in Abuja; weekly the major location where this contest usually takes place in the Federal Capital Territory is beside the central mosque, Central Area, Abuja. This race has caused a lot of accidents to the racers, onlookers and other road users hence the need for the strict enforceability of this S.228 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012.
The wheels of this law was put to drive when the police accosted car racers in their full force in the Federal Capital Territory on 25th December, 2021, who decided to spend the Christmas racing and contesting expertise in driving skills and car maneuvering. The law enforcement agents arrested and detained about five of the racers and impounded about 21 sport cars used for the race.
The road safety commission and the police commission are using it as a sound warning to emphasize that the laws that banned street car races in states in Nigeria are not for fancy, not repealed, and are still in force and will be enforced to the letter subsequently.