Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has blamed over-loading of vehicles and violation of speed limit devices by drivers for the massive road accidents experienced in the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration in the country.
The FRSC in its statistics said during the period there were 94 road traffic crashes involving 767 people, 44 deaths and 411 casualties.
Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, in a statement said another 312 people were rescued without injuries during the period.
Kazeem said reports from fields of operation indicated that the corps also recorded 9,045 offences, apprehended over 8,004 offenders, while 4,518 vehicles were impounded.
He added further that 671 offenders were arraigned before the FRSC mobile courts, 619 convicted, and 51 offenders discharged and acquitted nationwide, while one person was imprisoned.
The statement quoted t Chief Executive of FRSC, Engr. Boboye Oyeyemi, as saying the nationwide Sallah Special Patrol was specifically aimed at ensuring free flow of traffic, clearing of road obstructions, and stemming road traffic crashes along major corridors.
He added, “Ensuring the safety of travellers on Nigerian roads is central to the campaigns of FRSC through its patrol activities and public enlightenment programmes; it becomes even more compelling and highly imperative to amplify such programmes of action during festive periods when members of the corps embark on a Special Patrol campaign to reduce carnages on Nigerian roads.”
The corps embarked on a full-scale enforcement to curb dangerous driving, dangerous overtaking, use of phone while driving, speed limit violation, overloading, lane indiscipline, route violations, unlatched containers, and public enlightenment and traffic control.
Kazeem stressed that based on the trend above, Oyeyemi had encouraged all officers and men in the field commands to renew their commitment and focus on ensuring that the corps delivered on its mandate of reducing road traffic crashes by 20 per cent at the turn of the year.
