A total of 5,181 Nigerians lost their lives in road traffic crashes (RTC) in 2018, according to the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC).
The FRSC said in its 2018 Annual Report obtained by our reporter that Kaduna State recorded more deaths than other states during the period.
Although Kaduna State had more deaths in road crashes with a total of 597 fatalities, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja witnessed the highest number of crashes during the period.
The report, according the FRSC, was aimed providing RTC statistics comprising the casualties (persons killed and persons injured) and characteristics of occurrences for the period of January – December 2018, in Nigeria.
The report reads in part: “A total of 9,741 road traffic crashes were recorded, which resulted in an increase of 3.8% from 2017. These crashes included 2,739 fatal cases, 5,489 serious cases, 1,153 minor cases and 15,501 vehicle types. Also, 5,181 fatalities were recorded denoting an increase of 1.2% from 2017.”
The report further noted that “The FCT recorded the highest number of Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) in 2018 with 1,051 cases representing a reduction of 5% compared with the figure of 2017.
“These crashes involved 6,069 persons with 2,347 sustaining various degrees of injuries and 281 died. (This was) closely followed by Kaduna with 830 cases of RTC involving 6,804 crash victims out of which 3,300 sustained injuries while 597 died.
“Likewise, Borno, Bayelsa and Cross River States had low record of RTCs of 46, 53 and 56 cases, respectively.
“On the other hand, records in the period January to December 2018 revealed that Kaduna State was more vulnerable to fatality.
“A total of 597 fatalities were recorded in Kaduna accounting for 11.5% of the total persons who died in RTC; Jigawa followed with 301 fatalities and Niger State recorded 289 deaths while FCT and Ogun State had 281 fatalities each.
“Meanwhile, Ekiti, Taraba and Bayelsa States recorded fewer fatalities within the period having recorded 31, 26, and 14 fatalities, respectively.”
On the trend and percentage change of crashes and fatalities from 2013 to 2018, the report noted that “cumulatively, a decrease of 29.6 and 22.2 per cent was recorded in the number of crashes and fatality respectively from the periods outlined.
“However, on a year by year basis, 2014, 2015 and 2016 all recorded reduction in this regard while 2017 recorded a decrease and increase in crashes and fatalities respectively. The year under review, 2018, recorded increase of 3.8 and 1.2 per cent in crashes and fatalities respectively from (what was recorded in) 2017.”
The report added that 13,583 crashes were recorded in 2013 with 6,544 fatalities while in 2014, 10,380 accidents occurred with 5,996 fatalities representing a decrease of 23.6 and 8.4 per cent in the number of crashes and fatalities respectively compared to the trend in 2013.
Also, the year 2015 recorded 9,734 and 5,440 crashes and fatalities respectively representing 6.2 and 9.3 per cent decrease in the number of crashes and fatalities respectively compared to 2014.
In 2016, 9,694 and 5,053 crashes and fatalities respectively representing a decrease of 0.4 per cent in crashes and 7.1 per cent in the number of fatalities compared to 2015, was recorded.
Also, 2017 witnessed a slight decline in the number of incidents with 9,384 crashes 5,121 fatalities representing 3.2 per cent decrease in road crashes and 1.3 per cent increase in the number of fatalities compared to 2016.
However there was a sharp increase in the number of crashes in 2018 which is 9,741 and 5181 fatalities representing 3.8 per cent increase in crashes and 1.2 per cent increase in fatalities.
The report however blamed speed violations by motorists for the increase in crashes and fatalities in 2018, which it said “accounted for 51.7% of the total crashes reported.”
The report further revealed that Abia had 77 RTC with 39 deaths; Adamawa had 130 cases with 44 deaths; Akwa Ibom had 81 Crashes with 49 fatalities; Anambra 165 crashes with 70 deaths; Bauchi with 365 RTC and 245 deaths; Bayelsa 53 cases and 14 deaths, Benue 268 with 101 deaths; Borno with 46 cases and 55 deaths; Cross River recorded 56 accidents with 39 deaths; Delta: 124 cases resulting in 123 deaths; Ebonyi had 133 accidents with 81 deaths and Edo recoded 208 cases with 142 deaths.
Others include Ekiti with 71 cases and 31 deaths; Enugu 175 cases with 100 deaths; FCT with 1051 RTC and 281 deaths; Gombe 217 cases and 65 deaths; Imo 128 cases with 72 deaths; Jigawa with 361 cases and 301 deaths; Kaduna: 830 cases with 597 deaths; Kano with 356 cases and 204 deaths; Katsina with 283 cases and 161 deaths; Kebbi with 139 cases and 50 deaths; Kogi with 332 cases and 187 deaths and Kwara which recorded 268 RTC with 200 deaths.
Others are Lagos: 356 cases with 100 deaths; Nasarawa with 485 cases and 202 deaths; Niger with 475 cases and 289 deaths; Ogun with 539 cases and 281 deaths; Ondo with 449 cases and 233 deaths; Osun with 233 cases and 146 deaths; Oyo 401 cases with 239 fatalities; Plateau with 246 cases 85 fatalities; Rivers with 134 RTC and 59 fatalities; Sokoto with 114 cases and 60 fatalities; Taraba: 126 RTC with 26 deaths; Yobe: 147 crashes with 117 fatalities and Zamfara with 128 crashes resulting in 93 deaths.
