The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recorded 11,672 Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) and 5, 448 deaths between January and November 2021 nationwide.
FRSC’s Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO) Mr Bisi Kazeem, gave the figures in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Kazeem said that the complete information for 2021 was not readily available, as data regarding the numbers of road traffic crashes recorded in 2021 was still being collated.
He said this was because officials of the agency concluded the Operation Zero Tolerance Patrol recently, which was always scheduled for the end of the year, when the entire nation experienced high-vehicular movement.
“That being said, from January to November 2021, there were a total number of 11,672 road traffic crashes recorded across the country.
“Just as earlier pointed, the data relating to the number of people killed in 2021 will only encompass those of the month of January, through to November.
“It is good to let you know that the reason for the little delay on that of December is to ensure that every data is captured without any errors.
“However, between January to November 2021, 5, 448 persons were killed and 33,817 people were injured within the period,” he said.
The spokesman noted that the corps arrested 564,351 offenders between January and December, as against the 456,652 offenders apprehended in 2020.
Kazeem said that the agency also recorded a total of 626,098 various traffic-related offences in 2021, as against the 507, 277 offences recorded in 2020.
He stated that the success recorded by the Corps was so because officers and men were not only deployed for clearance of obstructions, but also performed rescue and enforcement operations including Public Education Campaigns at the motor parks.
According to the spokesman, the FRSC officials are deployed to remind drivers of the need to drive safely, adding that traffic control camps are set up to ensure free flow of movements.
Kazeem noted that such steps were noticed in Onitsha, Asaba Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Kotangora, Koton Karfi and a host of other routes.
“We believe that in coming years, the number of offences will drop, as a result of gaining the buy in of the motorists and other categories of road users, whose behavioural change will be noticeable while on wheels.
“This will in turn reduce the number of crashes and fatalities on the roads,” the official stated.
Speaking on the cases of assault against the agency’s officials, Kazeem said that one of the steps taken by the FRSC to put an end to this was the introduction of technology-driven monitoring and supervision of the entire patrol operations.
He stated that the agency had, in the last quarter of 2021, established and inaugurated the body and car cameras, to be monitored from the Control Room, at the FRSC headquarters.
The spokesman noted that these cameras had the capacity to cover a reasonable distance from the point of the patrol.
Kazeem said this was to forestall attacks and also record evidence of such assaults when they eventually occur.
According to him, the officials of the FRSC do not carry arms, however, it has not deterred them from carrying out their mandates, which they are constitutionally charged to perform.
“Given that the operations of the Corps are within the ambits of the law, any offender who assaults an operative on duty is charged and arrested.
“Again, the officials of the agency are trained to be firm and fair on offenders.
“But it does not rule out the fact that there are motorists who will, by all means necessary, resist arrests, even where it is glaring that they have committed traffic offences.
“In the spirit of oneness and esprit de corps, no uniform agency will fold its arm to see an offender assault another; the situation will be arrested, ” he said.
Kazeem noted that the agency had corporate strategic goals that guide the operations targeted at achieving its mandates.
“More to this, on the highways, there are sister agencies whose checkpoints or patrol points are located within those of the field operatives of the agency.
He said, “At the turn of the year 2022, the Corporate Strategic Goal of the Corps is targeted at accomplishing 15 per cent reduction in Road Traffic Crash fatality”.
According to him, the initiative, as outlined therewith to achieving the goal, is to intensify efforts to reduce speed driving and speed related fatalities.
He said it also includes ensuring compliance on use of safety helmet among motorcycle riders and pillions and heightening enforcement in tackling use of phone while driving.
Kazeem said the corps would also heighten enforcement on driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, improve post-crash intervention, intensify public awareness on the dangers of bad driving culture and ensure enhanced public education. (NAN)
