FRSC: Nigeria recorded 98 crashes, 77 deaths, during Easter Break
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Friday reports that it has recorded 98 road crashes nationwide during the Easter holidays and festivities.
Corps Marshal of the commission, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known during a press briefing in Abuja on the operations of the Easter holidays.
He said the commission recorded 77 deaths while it apprehended 6,223 traffic offenders nationwide.
Oyeyemi explained that the number of offences committed were 7,411, while the number of people involved in road crashes were 600.
He said that 358 people sustained various degrees of injuries, while 165 of the victims were rescued alive from the crashes.
He added that in a comparative analysis of the FRSC special operations in 2015, figures showed that 7,794 traffic offenders were apprehended but the number reduced this year with only 6,223 arrests, which is a 20 per cent decrease.
In the same vein, the Corp marshal said while 8,625 offences were committed in 2015, this dropped to 7,411 during this year’s Easter, which is a 14 per cent decrease.
“While 155 crashes were recorded in 2015, this decreased to 98 this year, making it a reduction of 15 per cent; while 885 crashes were recorded last year, it was 600 this year with 32 per cent reduction.
“While the number of those killed last year was 85, it reduced to 77 this year, making it nine per cent reduction.
“The number of people injured last year was 463, which reduced to 358 this year,’’ he said.
Oyeyemi said that the analysis of the operations showed that the exercise was successful as all the critical indices decreased comparatively to the 2015 figures.
He attributed the success to the public enlightenment and enforcement strategies of the Corps as most people now use seatbelts, saying that the compliance level had reached 95 per cent.
The Corps Marshal said in spite the success, the commission would not relent in its efforts to ensuring that passengers at the back seat use seatbelts, while he observed that private car drivers still violated speed limits.
The corps marshal said that some drivers were still engaged in the use of mobile phones while driving.
He identified drivers of articulated vehicles to be the worst traffic offenders, saying they were in the habit of using faulty lighting system, which create hazards to other road users especially at night.
He said that in line with the decision of the management to promote court trials for traffic violators nationwide, mobile courts were held across the country during the special patrol at Easter that summarily tried the violators.
Oyeyemi, said a total of 559 traffic offenders were arraigned in the courts out of which 518 were convicted.
He added that 41 of the offenders were, but that none was convicted to jail term.
The Corp Marshal says the commission will remain committed to its statutory responsibility of making the road safer for users.
