Nigerian motorists and commuters may soon face significantly tougher penalties for traffic violations after the Senate approved amendments to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act, raising fines for several offences by as much as 300 per cent.
The proposed amendment also retains a ₦50,000 penalty for anyone caught hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles as part of efforts to curb distractions and improve road safety.
Details of the Federal Road Safety Corps Act (Amendment) Bill obtained by Vanguard on Thursday show that the revised penalties target a wide range of traffic offences. The bill, titled Federal Road Safety Corps Act (Amendment), 2026 (HBs. 1401 & 1604 – For Concurrence), was first read in the Senate on July 1, 2025.
Under the amendment, any person found trading, hawking or preaching in commercial buses will, upon conviction, be liable to a ₦50,000 fine.
Lawmakers who debated the bill argued that the tougher sanctions are necessary to curb reckless behaviour on Nigerian roads and reduce crashes caused by distractions.
“Our roads have become marketplaces and crusade grounds. This cannot continue. The penalties must hurt enough to change behaviour,” one senator said during plenary.
Other offences affected by the review include driving under the influence of alcohol, using a mobile phone while driving, overloading, seatbelt violations and driving without a valid licence.
The amended Act’s Second Schedule lists 52 traffic offences and their corresponding penalties. The new provisions will take effect after receiving presidential assent.
Driving under the influence of alcohol, which previously attracted a ₦5,000 fine, will now carry a penalty of ₦100,000, a prison term of up to two years, or both.
The amendment states: “A person who, while driving or attempting to drive, or when in charge of a motor vehicle, is under the influence of intoxicating drugs or alcohol above the legal limit or to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of such motor vehicle, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of ₦100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.”
Motorists who refuse to cooperate with FRSC officials during a preliminary roadside breath test based on reasonable suspicion will also face a ₦50,000 fine, six months imprisonment, or both.
The Senate further approved a ₦100,000 fine for motorists who fail to obey traffic lights, road signs, pavement markings or other road signs.
Speed limit violations will now attract a ₦100,000 fine instead of the previous ₦5,000, while reckless driving will carry the same ₦100,000 penalty in addition to a possible two-year jail term or both.
According to the Senate, the review is aimed at strengthening the FRSC’s enforcement powers and improving safety on Nigerian roads.
Transport operators and commuters, particularly in Abuja, Lagos and other major cities where hawking and preaching inside buses are common, are expected to be most affected by the new measures.
The FRSC has repeatedly argued that weak penalties encourage traffic violations, and the amended law is expected to impose stiffer financial consequences on offenders.