High fuel costs reduce road crashes by nearly 10% in Q2 2024, says NBS

The rising fuel cost in Nigeria has led to a decline in road traffic accidents, with the number of incidents dropping by 9.69 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS Q2 2024 road transport report shows that road crashes decreased from 2,662 recorded in the first quarter to 2,404 in the second quarter. This figure is also 18.98 per cent lower than the 2,967 cases reported during the same period in 2023.

The report further revealed a reduction in the number of vehicles involved in accidents, dropping by 8.60 per cent from 3,952 in the first quarter to 3,612 in the second quarter of 2024.

According to the NBS, 1,076 males lost their lives in road accidents during Q2 2024, accounting for 82.45 per cent of all fatalities. Additionally, 5,837 males sustained injuries, representing 76.30 per cent of the total injured.

In terms of the severity of crashes, serious cases were the most prevalent in Q2 2024, with 1,525 incidents, compared to 661 fatal cases and 218 minor cases. The report noted a decline in all three categories—fatal, serious, and minor—compared to the previous quarter.

Regionally, the North-Central zone recorded the highest number of crashes with 867 cases, followed by the South-West with 661, while the South-East reported the lowest with 119 cases.

The North-Central zone also had the highest number of casualties, at 3,020, followed by the South-West, with 2,019, while the South-South reported the fewest casualties, at 452.