By correspondent in Lagos.
(ICIR Nigeria.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos Command, says it recorded 353 road traffic crashes which claimed the lives of 79 citizens in the state between January and August.
The FRSC Lagos Sector Commander, Babatunde Farinloye, made this disclosure during the Flag-Off of the 2023 Ember Months jointly organised by the Guinness Nigeria Plc and corp in Lagos on Thursday.
The theme of the campaign is: “Speed Thrills but Kills: Drive responsibly and Avoid Overloading.”
Farinloye said 603 other sustained different degree of injuries, some with permanent disabilities in the same period under review.
The sector commander attributed road accidents that occured to speeding, excessive load and operational irresponsibility which underlines the abuse of the roads, the vehicles and rights of other road users.
He noted that speed has been identified globally as a causal or aggravating element in almost 96 per cent of road traffic crashes, adding that Its dimensions consist of excessive speed and inappropriate speed.
Farinloye said besides speeding, overloading and irresponsibility, statistics had also depicted the potential for high rate of driving under Influence of drug and alcohol, fatigue driving driving during this period of festivities.
The sector commander noted that just a few days ago, around 0045Hrs in the morning, the crash between a luxury bus and a truck making a U-Turn at Kara end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway led to the death of four passengers.
“These incidents constitute huge human capacity loss and high level of trauma, social cost and other consequences that may change the course of several destinies.
“This is the essence of our continuous campaign and interventions. Nobody’s life has to be untimely terminated as an inevitable price for mobility on the roads.
“Today therefore we are flagging-off this campaign to remind ourselves and unequivocally reiterate that crashes are self-destructive occurrences.
“We (the road users) are the prime causal agents; we are the victims and we must be the solution. And it begins with our individual mindsets and convictions!”
Farinloye said this year’s theme had been selected in a unique emphasis of the three leading safety imperatives on the roads during this period.
He noted that the campaign represents an integral component of FRSC’s strategic interventions towards elevating the consciousness of Nigerians to the realities of road crashes and its’ mind-boggling implications on their lives, societies.
Farinloye said annually, over 1.3 million people die on world roads with about 50 million others sustaining various degree of injuries.
The sector commander added that the developing nations (including Nigeria) account for about 91 percent of world road fatalities with nations losing three per cent to five per cent of their annual GDP.
He said: “For us at FRSC Lagos State Sector Command, we shall be deploying the full capacity of the command for a multi-dimensional intervention.
“This is in the forms of enforcement operation, traffic control, public enlightenment and education, point-of-load education and surveillance, strategic advocacy and help-area for emergency response during this festive season.
“In the most aggressive and efficient way, we shall prosecute our programs around the identified leading crash causatives factors. Our vision for 2023 Operation Zero remains Zero Fatality.”
Farinloye therefore called every stakeholders and indeed road user to support it in this arduous task through exemplary conducts on the road and the propagation of the message of safety across our various constituencies.
Speaking, the ACM Gilbert Igbokwe, the Zonal Commanding Officer Zone 2, noted that road traffic menace continually cause collosal trauma on the victims, their families and to the nation.
Igbokwe said this was why the command cannot afford to be on the fence in taking concrete actions to redress any negative road use aversion such as driving irresponsibly or speeding beyond posted limit or overloading.
He therefore appealed to motorists to urgently take urgent steps in promoting safe road use in order to endangered good health and economic growth and development in the state.
The zonal commander also urged the Ministry of Transportation to support the campaign in the quest to rid the road of carnages to the benefits of mankind.
Speaking, the Managing Director of Guinness, Mr John Masunga urged consumers, motorists and the public to make a personal commitment not to take alcoholic drink while driving.
The managing director advised consumers to make a firm commitment never to drink while driving,
Magunda said: “Remember that drivers have responsibility not only to ensure that passengers reach their destinations safely, but to ensure that they return home safely to see their families and the loved ones.
“Our aim for this campaign is to promote safety on our roads by fostering a culture of not drinking while driving.
“We believe that our position as a market leader places a significant responsibility on us to raise awareness about the importance of consuming alcohol in a responsible way.”
The event had in attendance representative from Lagos State Traffix Management Authority (LASTMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Fire Service, Nigeria Army, Vehicles Inspection Officers, members of NURTW among others.
The event featured free medical check for sugar and blood pressure levels among others.
Agency report.