The Ogun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said 217 people died in 547 road traffic crashes between January and August in the state .
Mr. Ahmed Umar, the state Sector Commander, said this during the flag-off of the last quarter of the year “Ember months’’ campaign in the state on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
Umar explained that the command rescued over 1,338 persons in different motor traffic accidents during the period under review.
According to the sector commander, some of the busiest roads in the country were within the territory of the state.
He said that the high traffic on Lagos -Sagamu, Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Ajebandele, and other expressways in the state made the state prone to the high record of crashes and injuries.
Umar added that the enforcement of traffic regulations and public enlightenment against excessive speed, overloading, route violation, use of worn-out tires, and other offences were aimed at preventing crashes.
“Economic and social activities increase during Ember months, these activities make the roads busier and more prone to crashes and gridlock.
“FRSC’s Ember months operation is therefore aimed at minimising crashes and gridlocks along major corridors in the country,”
he said.
Mr. Umar said that the command would continue to engage the leadership of various transport unions to ensure compliance with traffic regulations and COVID -19 protocols.
The FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer-in-charge of Lagos and Ogun, Mr. Imoh Etuk, advised drivers to always obey traffic rules and regulations in order to avoid crashes.
Etuk appealed to drivers to avoid the consumption of alcohol and hard drugs before embarking on any journey.
In his goodwill message, Gov. Dapo Abiodun said that the state government would do all it could to improve road transportation in the state.
Abiodun, represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Security, Mr. Olusola Zubair, commended FRSC for it’s efforts in managing traffic on the state highways.
