The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has successfully recorded 25 percent reduction in the number of Road Traffic Crashes (RTC), 53 percent in the number of death, and 43 percent reduction in number of people injured in crashes that involved 522 people on Nigerian roads.
A statement by the Corps stated that during the 2023 Eid-El Kabir its special patrol operations that held from 26 June to 01 July, 2023, showed that a total of 522 people were involved in road crash.
In the special patrol operation that lasted for six days, the Corps recorded a total of 88 RTCs as against 118 of the same period in 2022, representing 25 percent reduction.
In the same vein, a total of 38 people were killed, against 88 in the previous year representing 53 percent decrease, while 211 people got injured in 2023 against 373 in 2022 representing 43 percent decrease.
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The Corps also rescued a total of 273 victims without injuries in 2023 against 347 in the same period in the year 2022. More so, a total of 4116 offenders were apprehended for 4682 offences committed across 2053 routes covered by the Corps.
The huge record of reduction in road traffic crashes during the 2023 celebration period came as a result of improved and rejigged patrol operations, robust public enlightenment campaign, injection of more operational vehicles for enhanced visibility, prompt rescue services, enhanced stakeholder collaboration and 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 positive changes in the reduction of offences and offenders and impoundments also captured above is attributable to an increase in Public Enlightenment, Enforcement, Traffic control, cooperation from Stakeholders, and the fully automated process of obtaining Drivers licence which ensures that Motorists must be trained in Driving Schools before they are qualified to apply for their licenses.
Reacting to the report of the special patrol operations, the Corps Marshal who expressed his delight over the success pledged that the Corps will sustain the tempo and enhance its effort towards entrenching safety on all roads.
To ensure further reductions in crashes on the road, the Corps Marshal also urged the motoring public to be disciplined and practice safe road use culture by giving maximum cooperation to FRSC personnel and other traffic law enforcers on the highways. He also called on the general public to always tune in to the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, as well as notify FRSC in the event of an emergency through its emergency line 0700-CALL-FRSC (0700-22553772) or toll-free number 122 for prompt response, as road safety is a shared responsibility.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138
