No fewer than 54 persons died in 117 road traffic crashes recorded during the special patrol operation carried out by the Federal Roads Safety Corps during the last Eid-el-Fitri celebrated across the country.
22 of the crashes were fatal.
The number of road traffic crashes this year is seven per cent lower than that of last year which was 126.
With the fatality rate put at 25 last year, there is a reduction of 12 per cent in the situation this year.
The statistics were given in a statement issued by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem.
He said the success recorded this year was as a result of the renewed commitment of the FRSC towards creating a safer motoring environment in Nigeria.
Giving a breakdown of the statistics of the six days operation, he said:
“A total of 5,713 offenders were apprehended over 6,481 offences committed across 2053 routes covered by the Corps. The most prevalent offence recorded during the period was Seatbelt Use Violation with 1,492 offenders apprehended. More to this, Public enlightenment campaigns within the period increased by 5.7%”
He said the recorded decrease in road traffic crashes during the 2019 celebration period came as a result of improved patrol operation, robust public enlightenment campaign, prompt rescue services, enhanced stakeholder collaboration, wider coverage of the national road network due to the establishment of more FRSC commands, outposts, road side clinics and Zebra points among others.
The FRSC spokesperson also revealed that a number of mobile court sittings were conducted across the country during the period.
“A total of 155 persons were arraigned during the mobile court operations in 2019 Sallah Special patrol compared to 230 persons in 2018; while 141 offenders were convicted compared to 221 in 2018, and 14 persons were discharged and acquitted,” he said.
In the same vein, he said the Corps recorded a significant increase in the number of people rescued without injury during the 2019 Eid El Fitri special patrol operations.
Accordingly, he said, during the special operations, a total of 469 persons were rescued without injury as follows: 310 male, 136 female and 23 children against 414 persons in the same period in 2018 representing 13.3% increase.
He added that total number of persons rescued with injuries in road traffic crashes during the period in 2019 was 333 compared to 389 in 2018, representing a decrease by 14%.
That, he said, was an improvement in the right direction.
He stated further: “From the total number of 117 crashes, 22 were fatal compared to 25 in 2018 which represents 12% decrease in total number of people killed; 81 were serious compared to 73 in 2018 which represents 11% increase; and a total of 26 were minor crashes compared to 22 in 2018 which represents 18.18% increase.”
He also stated that of the 856 persons involved in road traffic crashes during the 2019 period, 131 vehicles were involved compared to 148 in 2018, and 54 persons lost their lives during the 2019 patrol period. He gave the breakdown of vehicles involved in road traffic crashes across the nation as follows: 10 Tanker/Trailers, 17 Trucks, 39 Buses, 58 Cars, and 7 pickups.
Also involved in crashes, he said during the period were; 54 motorcycles and 6 Tricycles.
Kazeem quoted the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, as saying that: “The recorded decrease in crashes during the 2019 Eid-El Fitri celebration was as a result of improved patrol operation, robust public enlightenment campaigns, prompt rescue services and enhanced stakeholder collaboration.
“Further to that, the Corps now has a wider coverage due to the establishment of more FRSC Commands, Outposts, road side clinics and Zebra points who now feed in reports from different routes that were hitherto not thoroughly covered.”
