NATIONAL: 4,794 persons died from road accidents in 2020 – FRSC

THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has revealed the number of casualties recorded from road accidents in the just concluded year 2020.

The corps noted that 4,794 persons died from road accidents while at least 10,522 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs), involving 17, 614 vehicles, were recorded nationwide in 2020.

The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO) Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Bisi Kazeem, said this in an interview on Thursday in Abuja.

Kazeem said 4, 794 persons were recorded dead and 28,449 persons got various degrees of injury within the period under review, while 29,808 had minor injuries and survived.

He, however, maintained that there was a drop in the total number of fatalities through road traffic crashes in 2020 when compared to 2019.

He added that in 2019, the Corps recorded 4, 878 deaths as against 4, 794 deaths in 2020 representing a decrease of 84 which was 1.75 per cent decrease.

According to him, the Corps recorded a total of 10,522 road traffic crashes involving 17,614 vehicles in the year 2020, as against 9, 957 involving 16,806 vehicles recorded in the previous year 2019.

“The total number of crashes increased in the year 2020 with a total of 565 crashes, representing 5.37 per cent increase.

“In 2020 alone, out of 63,581 people involved in RTC, a total of 4, 794 were killed, as against 4, 878 in 2019 representing 1.75 per cent decrease.

“28,449 got injured in 2020 against 32,344 in 2019 representing a decrease of 3, 895 or 13.69 per cent.

“While a total of 29,808 survived the crashes with injuries in 2020 against 32,499 in 2019 representing 6745 or 10.67 per cent decrease,” he said.

Kazeem identified major causes of these crashes as Speed-related Violations (SPV), which according to him contributed above 62 per cent of the total crashes.

He added that dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, overloading, break failure, tyre burst, wrongful overtaking and route violation were also probable major causes of crashes.

“Bad road, road construction violation, dangerous overtaking, sleeping on steering, poor weather, use of phone while driving, sign light violation, fatigue among others caused the crashes,” he added.

Kazeem said the Corps believed that a crash-free society was still possible only if all road users, including pedestrians ensured that all road traffic regulations were complied with accordingly.

He, however, warned that those who violated road traffic laws indiscriminately would definitely be penalised as the operatives were more than ever prepared and deployed to enforce compliance.