The Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mr Boboye Oyeyemi says the corps will reduce by 50 per cent the rate of accidents on the highways if the funds appropriated for the agency was adequately released.
He made this known during the agency’s budget defence before the Senate Committee on Federal Character headed by Sen. Tijjani Kaura on Wednesday in Abuja.
Oyeyemi who said this would be achieved through the agency’s strategic goals also noted that the commission would train state traffic management agencies with a view to improving professionalism.
He, however, called for the upward review of the agency’s budget so as to function optimally.
The lawmakers commended FRSC for reduction in road crashes in 2017.
The FRSC is yet to publish the full data of road accidents for 2017.
But in the first quarter of last year, the National Bureau of Statistics reported 2,556 road crashes, with 42.69 % caused by speed violation.
Loss of control and dangerous driving followed closely as they both accounted for 12.73% and 7.34% of the total road crashes recorded.
A total of 1,466 Nigerians were killed during the period, while 8,672 Nigerians were injured.
