The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has warned children, teenagers and young adults against using rolling skate shoes, wheeled footwear and similar recreational devices on public highways and other vehicular corridors.
In a statement signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA said the practice exposes users to serious and avoidable traffic hazards, particularly when they glide alongside moving vehicles, cross carriageways indiscriminately or manoeuvre through traffic without adequate protective equipment and adult supervision.
The agency expressed concern over the increasing use of footwear fitted with concealed or retractable wheels on roads primarily designed for motorised traffic.
It noted that public highways are dynamic and unpredictable environments where vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians and other road users move simultaneously.
LASTMA said introducing wheeled recreational devices into such environments could reduce users’ ability to respond appropriately to sudden vehicular movements, potentially resulting in serious collisions and life-altering injuries.
The traffic management agency therefore 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.
It advised users of wheeled footwear to restrict recreational activities to designated recreational areas, private compounds and other safe locations specifically suitable for skating.
LASTMA also urged users to wear appropriate protective equipment, including helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and other safety gear.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said road safety remained a collective responsibility requiring constant vigilance, discipline and respect for the risks associated with public roads.
Bakare-Oki stressed that the preservation of human life must remain paramount, noting that no recreational activity was important enough to justify exposing oneself or other road users to unnecessary danger.
He also 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.
LASTMA further urged members of the public to promptly report dangerous traffic situations, road obstructions, crashes, vehicle breakdowns and other incidents requiring urgent traffic-management intervention through its toll-free short code 3367.
According to LASTMA, prompt reporting of such incidents would facilitate timely intervention by relevant responders.
LASTMA reiterated its commitment to protecting lives, promoting responsible road-user behaviour and ensuring a safer and more orderly transportation environment across Lagos State.
“Safety on Lagos roads is not merely a regulatory obligation; it is a shared civic responsibility,” the agency said.
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