Over 70% road traffic crashes are speed-related – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says speed accounts for over 70 per cent of road traffic accidents in the country.

The Acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu said on Thursday in Abuja at a press briefing on the 2022 Ember Months, dangers of night trips and nationwide clampdown on unregistered motorcycles.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for this year’s Ember Months campaign is, ‘Avoid Speeding, Overloading and Unsafe Tyres to Arrive Alive’.

Biu said that the theme was deliberately chosen to bring to the fore, the collective nature of the campaign and the need for collaborative efforts by all relevant stakeholders.

This, he said, was to bring the rate and fatality of the crashes within and beyond the period to the barest minimum.

Biu said that the Corps had initiated speed control measures in collaboration with various stakeholders.

He said that the most notable was the Speed Limiting Device approved by Standard Organisation of Nigeria since 2015.

“This device is for compulsory usage by commercial drivers. This resolve was orchestrated to ensure that speed related crashes and fatalities they caused were adequately reduced.

“Worthy of note again, is the alarming rate of crashes and fatalities that occur as a result of night trips.”

He said that the crashes and fatalities due to night journeys have also become worrisome and demanding urgent need to bring it to a halt.

Biu, therefore, advised travellers during the ember months, to as much as possible avoid night trips.

He explained that the risk of night trips was high due to poor visibility, excessive speed and other unhealthy behaviours of drivers.

“I say this because travelling at night is a risk factor to all road users, and this must be totally avoided to save lives.

“However, FRSC has the statutory mandate of ensuring safety of lives and properties of road users.

“But these responsibilities became more demanding at this period of the year due to increased human and vehicular traffic,” the acting corps marshal said.