The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) has said that the state recorded a decrease in road traffic crashes in 2017 compared to 2016.
The TRACE Corps Commander, ‘Seni Ogunyemi, who made this known while fielding questions from journalists in his office, revealed that road traffic deaths recorded in the out-gone year, 2017 reduced by 13% compared to the number of deaths in the preceding year as recorded by the agency in areas covered.
Giving a statistical breakdown of the crashes that occurred in the state in the last one month, Ogunyemi hinted that a total number of 45 road traffic crashes was recorded, involving 10 private cars, two private buses, 15 commercial buses, 11 commercial cars, nine motorcycles, three tricycles, four pickups, seven medium trucks, four heavy trucks and eight other vehicles in 2017.
He said during the period, 269 (174 male, 95 female) persons were involved in road traffic crashes, out of which 86 (56 male, 28 female) sustained various degrees of injuries, 20 (16 male and four female) persons were killed in various crashes across the state, compared to 247 (161 male, 86 female) involving in road traffic crashes in 2016.
Ogunyemi further reveal that a total of 163 persons were rescued unhurt due to the prompt response to 49 emergency calls received by the Corps, while 122 persons were rescued in 2016. According to the TRACE boss, major causes of the crash witnessed in Ogun state include over-speeding, taking a larger percentage of 46.21%, 16.5% by dangerous driving, 10.29% by bad tyres, 8.76% was caused by driving against traffic and 18.23% by other causes. 317 motor vehicles and 27 Okada riders were also apprehended for 436 offences in 2017.
“Our resolve to reduce deaths and injuries on all roads in Ogun State will be pursued vigorously and relentlessly in the New Year, such that no traffic offender shall go unpunished. It is my advice to motorists, commuters and pedestrians to be alert and watchful. They should shun all acts of traffic violation, as this has proved to be one of the major causes of road traffic crashes. If all traffic rules and regulations are strictly adhered to, an accident-free Ogun State is possible”, Ogunyemi submitted.
The TRACE boss however appealed to the motoring public to obey all traffic rules and always have it at the back their mind that “the road is patient, but does not forgive”. He challenged officers to invest in integrity and professionalism in the discharge of their duties, charging them to shun every shameful act capable of bringing disgrace, not only to the Corps, but to the State in general, affirming that with the government’s proposed provision of road signs on all roads in the state, traffic crashes will further reduce.