No fewer than 3,730 Nigerians have lost their lives in various road accidents across the country between January and September 2023.
The figure, however, is a 23.1 per cent reduction from the 4,848 fatalities recorded in the same period in the year 2022.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also stated that it has recorded a substantial reduction in the total number of Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs), injuries and fatalities between January and September.
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The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Bisi Kazeem, said this in a statement made available to The Star on Monday, October 9, 2023.
Kazeem said that on the number of people killed, the corps also recorded significant reduction within the operational period.
“According to the crash data report, in the first 9 months of the year 2023, the corps recorded a total of 3,730 fatalities as against 4,848 in the same period in the year 2022, representing 23.1 per cent reduction.
“It is expedient to inform the public that the highest achievement was recorded in the third quarter 2023 (July to September).
“In the 3rd quarter, the corps reduced RTCs by 37.6 per cent having reduced crashes from 3,412 in 2022 to 2,130 in year 2023.
“Road traffic injuries were also reduced from 9,258 in year 2022 to 5,864 in 2023 representing 36.7 per cent reduction.
“Also, road traffic deaths were also reduced from 1,470 in the year 2022 to 880 in the year 2023, representing 40 per cent reduction in number of people killed,” he said.
In the same vein, Kazeem said that the corps achieved 22 per cent reduction in RTCs, 21.3 per cent decrease in road injuries and 23.1 per cent reduction in road traffic deaths when compared with the same period in 2022.
He, however, said that the records were according to the FRSC road traffic crash dashboard, within the period under consideration.
He said: “The corps recorded a total of 7,830 road traffic crashes as against 10,039 in the same period in the year 2022, representing 22 per cent decrease.
“From January to September 2023, the corps also achieved 21.3 per cent reduction in number of people rescued with injuries.
“The corps rescued a total of 22,580 in 2023 against 28,698 injured victims from January to September of the year 2022.”
Kazeem said that it was pertinent to state that the significant decrease was achieved due to enhanced visibility on the highways and aggressive public education.
This, he said, also included broadened and expanded command structures, injection of more patrol, rescue and recovery vehicles into the operations of the corps.
This, he added, was for prompt rescue services and speedy removal of obstructions, and of course, deployment of men and logistics to areas hitherto uncovered.
Kazeem quoted the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu as wishing to leverage on this opportunity to inform the public that the present administration of the Corps has unequivocally resolved not to rest on its oars.
This, he said, would be in ensuring steady reduction in crashes, injuries and fatalities on Nigerian roads.
THE STAR
