THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 24 persons were killed while 354 others sustained injuries in road crashes in Gombe State between January and March 2023.
Gombe FRSC Sector Commander, Felix Theman, disclosed this is in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafiyawo, Akko Local Government Area of the state on Friday, April 14.
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Theman said 518 people were involved in the crashes, out of which 354 sustained various degrees of injuries while 140 were unhurt.
He added that the accidents were largely due to wrongful overtaking, failure to obey speed limit, overloading, use of phone while driving and underage driving.
The sector commander stressed that motorcycles and tricycles were major contributors to the crashes within the period under review, noting that 128 of them were involved in the accidents recorded.
According to him, the increasing number of underage drivers in the state is a major cause of accidents, as 18 underage drivers were cautioned within the period.
“The Corps has stepped up enforcement in that regard to ensure that children don’t engage in any form of driving on roads which could lead to crashes and fatality in some cases,” he said.
Noting that 33 offenders were sanctioned for use of phones while driving, he appealed to motorists to be mindful of their speed and also ensure strict adherence to traffic rules and regulations.
“Motorists have a responsibility to ensure safety on the road, so drive for you to be alive,” he advised.
The FRSC recorded 115 deaths and 1,146 injuries in the state in 2022.
The Sector Commander, Felix Theman, disclosed that a total of 377 road crashes involving 633 vehicles and 1,911 people were recorded in the state within the period out of which 765 were unhurt.
While also comparing the 2021 data to that of 2022, he explained that there was a decrease in the casualties and number of auto crashes.
Theman said in 2021, the total crashes were 438, involving 2,068 persons and 542 vehicles, out of which 1,153 were injured while 117 were killed.
The figure, according to Theman, translated to 13.9 per cent reduction in road crashes and 1.7 per cent reduction in the death rate in 2022 when compared to 2021.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M