By Thompson ABISOLA
The Ogun Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Tuesday said that no fewer than 237 persons died in road crashes within the last 10 months in the state.
FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun, Mr Oladele Clement, made the disclosure at the 2nd Bi-Annual Retreat /Zonal Operators meeting in Ota, Ogun.
The retreat was organised by FRSC Zone RS2, Lagos.
According to him, this year has been most challenging for FRSC as road crashes and fatalities rate are on the increase.
“This development is worrisome because the 237 lives lost so far this year passed the whole of 2017 figure which was 210,”he said.
Clement said over half of the crashes that occurred at various construction sites in the state could be traced to speeding.
The sector commander advised motorists to desist from speeding at construction sites and to always listen to FRSC officials on the roads.
Earlier, the FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer in Charge of Ogun and Lagos States, Mr John Meheux, said that the retreat was necessary, as road crashes and fatality rate were on the increase in the state.
“The FRSC is working toward a safer system where people would not die or sustain serious injuries when a crash occurs,’’ he said.
The FRSC boss reiterated the corps’ commitment to reduce death rate to 15 per cent and fatality rate to 30 per cent this year.
He also said the FRSC had injected more holistic approach which include providing nine patrol vehicles, while medical and rescue teams would be 24 hours, so as to reduce crashes to the minimum.
Meheux said that the zonal records in the last two to three years show the number of people involved and killed in auto crashes in various corridors in both states.
The zonal commander appreciated the teams, agencies and stakeholders working tirelessly with FRSC on the road to ensure safety.
Managing Director, Crystal Expertise Resources Limited, Dr Michael Oladun, , said that speeding contributed to over 50 per cent of road crashes in the country.
Oladun, who is also a safety expert, implored people to desist from taking substances like alcohol and drugs to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.
