Anambra: Road Crashes Rise As State Records 316 Accidents In 9 Months – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has stated that road accidents were on the increase in Anambra State as the state recorded 316 road crashes from January to September 2020.

The state sector commander of the FRSC, CC Andrew Ayodele Kumapayi Kumapayi, who made the disclosure also added that commercial buses recorded more road traffic crashes than other categories within the period under review.

The sector commander stated this, weekend, at the command headquarters, Awka, during a review of road traffic crashes for various classes of vehicles between January and September last year and the same period this year. He further stated that the state recorded more traffic offenders this year for various traffic offences within the period under review when compared to 2019.

Quoting him, “For the year 2019, a total of 292 vehicles were involved in road traffic crashes from January to September 2019. For the year 2020 for the same periods, a total of 316 vehicles were involved. From the data, there is an increase in road traffic crashes this year, compared to what was recorded in 2019. Commercial buses took the lead in road mishaps as evident in the statistics within the disposal of the corps.”

The sector commander further revealed that 81 buses were involved in road traffic crashes from January to September 2019, noting that in the year 2020, about 101 buses were involved in road traffic crashes within the same periods.

He said trailing commercial buses in the frequency of accidents were trucks, adding that crashes involving trucks were 68 between January and September last year, but reduced to 61 this year. According to him, “We have 11 notable crashes for tankers in 2019, but in the year 2020, we have 15 crashes. But the 11 crashes of last year were so devastating; talking about the Ochanja market fire and other serious crashes. No death has been recorded this year from petrol tanker crashes. The least involved in road traffic crashes this year were pick-up vans.”

The FRSC boss added that there was a significant decrease in road traffic crashes involving cars this year, when compared to the situation last year within the periods under review. He regretted the incessant cases of road mishaps in the state, considering that many of them were caused by human factors, and reiterated that the corps ‘targets to reduce the rate of road traffic crashes by 15% as well as reduce fatalities by 20% for the year 2020’.

“Excessive speeding,” he stated, “Is one of the causative factors responsible for road mishaps. The corps has initiated strategies, such as public education, enforcement of traffic rules and regulations, and the use of mobile courts to try traffic offenders. We are also making efforts to reduce road traffic crashes on Anambra roads.”