The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has warned Lagos residents against using rolling skate shoes on public highways, saying the practice puts users and other road users at risk of serious crashes.
LASTMA, in a statement on Sunday by its Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Taofiq Adebayo, particularly cautioned children, teenagers and young adults against using rolling skate shoes, wheeled footwear and similar recreational devices on public highways and other vehicular corridors.
Adebayo said the increasing use of footwear fitted with concealed or retractable wheels on roads designed primarily for motorised traffic was a serious safety concern.
According to him, the danger is heightened when users attempt to glide alongside moving vehicles, cross carriageways indiscriminately or manoeuvre through traffic without adequate protective measures and adult supervision.
Adebayo said public highways were dynamic and unpredictable environments where vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians and other road users moved simultaneously.
He warned that introducing wheeled recreational devices into such spaces could reduce users’ ability to respond appropriately to sudden vehicular movements, potentially resulting in collisions and life-altering injuries.
“Road safety is a collective responsibility which requires constant vigilance, discipline and respect for the inherent risks associated with public roads,” Adebayo said.
He stressed that the preservation of human life must remain paramount, adding that no recreational activity was sufficiently important to justify exposing oneself or other road users to unnecessary danger.
The agency urged parents, guardians, schools and caregivers to discourage children and other vulnerable road users from using rolling skate shoes on highways, expressways, bridges, service lanes and other areas where vehicular traffic is permitted.
The statement advised users of such footwear to restrict their activities to designated recreational areas, private compounds or other safe environments specifically suited for skating.
It also urged them to use appropriate protective equipment, including helmets, knee pads and elbow pads.
LASTMA further called on motorists to exercise heightened vigilance around children and young persons using wheeled footwear, particularly in residential areas, estates, school zones and other locations where vulnerable road users could suddenly enter the traffic stream.
The authority urged members of the public to promptly report dangerous traffic situations, road obstructions, crashes, breakdowns and other incidents requiring urgent traffic-management intervention through its toll-free short code, 3367, to facilitate timely response by relevant authorities.
