The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has revealed that it recorded a total of 531 road traffic crashes nationwide as against 634 recorded in the same period in 2023 representing a 16.2 per cent reduction.
It added that a total of 2,129 people were rescued without injuries, representing an 8.2 per cent decrease when compared to the 2,319 rescued in the same period in 2023.
Its Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, gave the hint on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing on the “End of the Year Operation Zero Tolerance Special Patrol, 2024.”
Giving breakdown of the operation conducted from December 15, 2024, to January 15, 2025, Mohammed noted that the corps recorded a total of 531 crashes, 169 fatalities, 287 serious injuries, and 75 minor injuries.
He stated: “There were also five landmark crashes that defined the outcome of the number of road traffic crashes, fatalities, as well as injuries recorded.
“These were: Jing, Shendam in Plateau State on 20 December 2024 killed 11 people, Bende-Ohafia route in Abia State on 22 December 2024 killed 11 people, that of 25 December 2024 on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway that killed 8 passengers and that of Jebba, Kwara State on Thursday 26 December 2024 which claimed 30 lives as well as that of Owo-Ikare route before Ose bridge on 28 December 2024 that led to the death of 13 passengers.”
Mohammed explained that in the comparative analysis of the data obtained between 15 December, 2024 to 15 January 2025, as compared with the same period last year.
He said: “The Corps recorded a total of 531 road traffic crashes nationwide as against 634 recorded in the same period in 2023. This represents a 16.2 per cent reduction.
“More so, a total of 2,129 people were rescued without injuries, representing an 8.2 per cent decrease when compared to the 2,319 rescued in the same period in 2023.
“Meanwhile, the Corps recorded an increase in the total number of people involved, killed as well as injured.
“Our data showed that within the period under review, 4,586 people were involved in RTC representing a 3.1 per cent increase by comparison with the data of the same period in 2023 which had 4,446 people involved.”
Mohammed stressed that 402 people were killed in the 2024 exercise, saying this was against 335 recorded in 2023 signifying a 20 per cent increase.
Incidentally, within the period under review, 2,055 people were injured in both 2023 and 2024.
Giving an analysis of the Corps annual performance, the Corps Marshal said the Corps recorded a reduction in RTCs and injuries in 2024 compared to 2023.
Mohammed said: “From January 1 to December 31, 2024, a total of 9,570 road traffic crashes were recorded nationwide. This figure is against 10,617 road traffic crashes recorded in 2023 which signifies a tremendous reduction of 10 per cent.
“Furthermore, 31,154 people were injured in 2024 while 31,874 were injured in 2023 representing a 2% decrease.
“However, the Corps recorded a 7 per cent increase in fatalities as 5,421 people were killed in 2024 while 5,081 people were killed in 2023.
“Meanwhile, a total of 70,530 people got involved in road traffic crashes in 2024 compared to 70,092 in 2023 signifying an increase of one per cent.
“It is pertinent to emphasize at this juncture that, out of the total fatalities that occurred in 2024, 411 deaths, representing 7.6 per cent of the total deaths were not primarily caused by the crashes, but a secondary factor which is the very monster we are fighting today: scooping of fuel from fallen tankers.”