Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC says deaths from road crashes in Nigeria dropped by 1,118 or 23.1 per cent in 2023 compared to the number in 2022.
Gatekeepers News reports that the FRSC Spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Kazeem noted that 3,730 deaths resulting from road crashes have so far been recorded this year, adding that this was fewer than 4,848 deaths recorded in 2022.
According to FRSC, road crashes decreased from 10,039 in 2022 to 7,830 in 2023, representing a 22 per cent drop.
The statement read, “In the same vein, from January to September 2023, the corps also achieved a 21.3% reduction in number of people rescued with injuries, having rescued a total of 22,580 in 2023 against 28,698 injured victims from January to September of the year 2022.
“On the number of people killed, the corps also recorded a significant reduction within the operational period. According to the crash data report, in the first nine months of the year 2023, the corps recorded a total of 3,730 fatalities as against 4,848 in the same period in 2022, representing a 23.1% reduction.
“It is expedient to inform the public that the highest achievement was recorded in the third quarter 2023 (July to September). In the 3rd quarter, the corps reduced RTCs by 37.6% having reduced crashes from 3,412 in 2022 to 2,130 in 2023.”
It added that “Road traffic injuries were also reduced from 9,258 in 2022 to 5,864 in 2023, representing a 36.7% reduction while road traffic deaths were also reduced from 1,470 in 2022 to 880 in 2023, representing a 40% reduction in the number of people killed.”
According to Kazeem, the drop in deaths from road crashes “was achieved due to enhanced visibility on the highways, aggressive public education, broadened and expanded command structures, injection of more patrol, rescue and recovery vehicles into the operations of the corps for prompt rescue services and speedy removal of obstructions, and of course, deployment of men and logistics to areas hitherto uncovered.”
On his part, Corps Marshal Dauda Ali Bi said the agency would not rest on its laurels “in ensuring steady reduction in crashes, injuries and fatalities on Nigerian roads.”
