THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Oyo State said 146 persons died in various road traffic crashes in the state between January and June 2023.
The FRSC also said 618 persons sustained varying degrees of injury in 246 road crashes recorded within the period.
The state sector commander of the corps, Joshua Adekanye, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday, August 25, in Ibadan, the state capital.
Giving the breakdown of the incidents, he mentioned that in January, 15 individuals tragically lost their lives. The numbers continued with 15 in February, 23 in March, 24 in April, 45 in May, and 24 in June.
He further explained that investigations uncovered several causes for these accidents, including speeding, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and mechanical faults, among other factors.
The sector commander urged drivers against reckless driving, adding that the command had intensified enforcement and public awareness campaigns at motor parks, churches, and mosques.
He said, “We also seize every available opportunity to talk to the general public about the factors that can lead to road crashes and how to avoid same.
“We also make use of radio, print and social media to pass the message across to the general public. We also partner traditional leaders to talk to people in their domain on how to avoid factors that can lead to road traffic crashes.”
On April 15, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) disclosed that 1,349 people were killed in road accidents across the country between January 1 and April 12, 2023.
While noting that 2,463 crashes occurred during the period, the Commission said the crash involved 3,965 vehicles conveying 16,102 people.
Out of that number, 1,349 people were killed, while 7,744 got injured.
However, in another report on May 16, FRSC disclosed that about 40,000 people die annually from road crashes in Nigeria, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The Commission said road crashes are the leading cause of death and disability in the country.
The Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dauda Biu, disclosed this on Monday, May 15, at an event to mark the 7th United Nations Global Road Safety Week in Abuja.
According to him, about 1.3 million people are killed, while 50 million sustain injuries, in road crashes across the world each year.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M