The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, today disclosed that a total of 161 fatal accidents were recorded in the country last year compared to 196 recorded in 2016, representing a reduction by 18 per cent year-on-year.
Oyeyemi, who made the disclosure during a media briefing in Abuja said the reduction in road accidents were due to increasing surveillance and diligent monitoring of traffics by corps, multiple and diverse stakeholders interactions, logistics support from government and introduction of speed limiters.
He explained:“In the same vein, reductions of 33 per cent and 43 per cent respectively were recorded in serious and minor accident cases during the periods, representing 31 per cent reduction.’’
Oyeyemi, who said that 5, 993 people were involved in various road traffic accidents in 2016, but that the figures reduced to 4,418 last year, explained that while 454 died in 2016 road accidents, only 338 died in 2017, representing a 26 per cent reduction.
According to him, while the figures of injured people from road mishaps stood at 2,848 in 2016, these were substantially reduced last year, ebbing to 2,040, indicating a difference of 808 people.
Expatiating further on the road accidents and the causative factors, the road safety expert explained that offenders’ behaviour, especially during the yuletide, improved due to massive public enlightenment embarked upon by the corps.
In addition, he linked road users’ improved conduct and collaboration from the strategic stakeholders, including transport unions and law enforcement agencies as also partly responsible for the reduction in road accidents.
The corps marshal said: “Consequently, while 28, 224 offenders were booked for various offences in 2016, the number reduced to 20, 371, in 2017, making a difference of 7, 853, which represents a decrease of 28 per cent.
“In same vein, while offences committed during 2016 operations were 31, 284, these reduced to 22,987 in 2017, a difference of 8, 297, which represents a decrease of 27 per cent,’’ Oyeyemi added.
However, he lamented that despite the corps’ commitment to civility and increased public enlightenment, some of the corps’ personnel continued to suffer one form of assault or another from recalcitrant offenders.
Oyeyemi said accident reduced in 2017 due to a number of factors, including multiple and diverse stakeholders interactions, logistics support from the Federal Government and introduction of the speed limiters.
On the speed limiters, he explained that the device addressed challenges of speeding on the highways, as well as strategic operational options that could adequately tackle the end of year traffic movements.
