The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said a total of 327 people died in 600 road traffic crashes during the Christmas Patrol, which started from December 15, 2021, through January 15, 2022.
While presenting the interim report of the 2021 operation zero-tolerance special patrol operation, (December 15 to January 15) the FRSC corps marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, said: “within the period under review a total of 600 road traffic crashes were recorded, involving 4,649 people with 327 people killed and 1,916 injured, while 2,406 people were rescued without injuries.
“Also a total of 20,845 offenders were apprehended and booked for violating 24,214 different traffic infractions with 11,060 vehicles impounded and 9,787 confiscations recorded. A total of seven fatal crashes claiming 82 persons were recorded along seven critical routes across the country with Ilesha-Akure road and Kano-Zaria road recording the highest number of death of 20 and 19 respectively.”
The corps marshal explained that a comparative analysis of road traffic crashes recorded in the year 2021 and 2020 revealed a nine per cent reduction in road traffic crash cases, three per cent reduction in the number of people involved, 26 per cent reduction in the number of people killed and nine per cent reduction in the number of people injured.
Also, a comparative analysis of enforcement within the special patrol in 2021 and 2020 indicates 26 per cent increase in road traffic violators, 32 per cent increase in traffic offences, 18 per cent increase in the number of vehicles impounded and 35 per cent increase in number of confiscations.
The corps marshal also said during the special patrol, the FRSC deployed “a total of 25, 224 personnel (comprising 7,100 officers and 18, 124 Marshals) to various strategic corridors across the country. In addition, a total of 780 patrol vehicles, 73 Power bikes, 93 Ambulances and 19 Tow trucks were equally mobilized and redeployed to critical corridors.
“Also, help areas and traffic camps were created for the prompt response, while roadside clinics and ambulance unit (Zebras) were fully activated and mobilized throughout the period. The FRSC call centre and situation room were deployed 24/7 during the special patrol.
“For the first time, Body-worn cameras monitored from our field operations monitoring and control centre was integrated as part of the monitoring architecture of the special operation.”
Oyeyemi, however, identified overspeeding as a major cause of the crashes, while driving under influence of drugs and alcohol, continuous night journey leading to fatigue, dangerous driving, overloading, wrongful overtaking and tyre violation (worn out and expired) were some of contributing factors.
