FATALITIES ON THE ROADS
Regulators should do more to contain the scourge
That no fewer than 1,593 Nigerians lost their lives in road traffic crashes (RTC) during the first quarter of 2025 is disturbing. Although the number of these RTCs decreased by one per cent (from 2,674 to 2,650) when compared to the same period in 2024, there has been a rise in both fatalities and injuries. The number of people killed surged by 8.3 per cent, from 1,471 in Q1 2024 to 1,593 in Q1 2025, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). In addition, the number of injured persons rose by 7.4 per cent, with 9,298 injuries recorded in Q1 2025 compared to 8,659 in the corresponding quarter of 2024.
Unfortunately, to many Nigerians, death by RTC becomes news
when prominent citizens are involved or casualty figures in specific incidents are high. Yet, there’s hardly a day when some families would not be thrown into mourning
because of these road accidents that claim thousands of people every year. Recent reports credited to the FRSC indicate that vehicles commonly involved in these fatal crashes include commercial buses, articulated trucks and trailers. Since only a certain class of Nigerians patronise such vehicles, that perhaps explains why the authorities do not pay much attention to the victims. But we cannot continue to lose lives needlessly.
The FRSC has in recent years also identified the behaviour of road users as one of the reasons for high fatalities when RTC occurs. A reckless driving culture occasioned by excessive speeding, making calls or texting on cell phones while on the wheel, drunk driving and poorly maintained vehicles are some of the factors that are making Nigerian roads a theatre of blood. Vehicles that carry passengers beyond their capacity as well as trailers overloaded with people and livestock are also vulnerable to high-impact accidents that occur almost daily. Sign-light and route violations, wrongful overtaking, mechanical failures such as brake malfunctions have also significantly contributed to the fatalities.
There is also the issue of seat belts which many don’t use. Certainly, seat belts are not mere ornaments. They are standard safety equipment of every modern car to cushion the impact of a car crash on the occupants, particularly the driver and the passenger in the front seat. Indeed, many modern cars are equipped with intelligent seat belt reminders. Despite the enlightenment campaigns on the danger of these habits, many road users scarcely pay attention. The FRSC once promised to open a ‘Shame Register’ which would be a sort of black book for notorious traffic offenders regardless of their status in the society. Nothing has ever been heard about that.
The state of the roads is another major cause of accidents. Both the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics and that of the FRSC place Nigeria as one of the countries with very high road fatalities. Nigeria’s total highway length of 194,394 kilometers is rated second worst in the world. While we commend initiatives like the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (2021-2030) and the National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS) by the FRSC, more should be done to prevent the needless deaths on our roads.
From the WHO estimate of deaths on Nigerian roads to be 2.82 per cent of the global total to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the fatality rate is undesirable. More unfortunate is that victims are often people in the prime of their productive years. We urge the FRSC to collaborate with other stakeholders, including the road transport unions on this issue. We must halt the growing number of these avoidable tragedies on our roads.
