In three months, a road accident took 83 lives and injured 102 others

In certain regions of the country, there have been as many as 83 fatal traffic incidents in the past three months.

The incidents that happened between January and March 2024 also left 102 persons with varying degrees of injuries, according to research done by Saturday PUNCH.

It was discovered that drivers breaking traffic restrictions and traveling at high speeds were the main causes of road crashes.

One such case of speeding and careless driving occurred on January 2 at the Aliko Filling Station on the Kaduna-Zaria freeway, where six people died and eleven were injured in a multiple vehicle disaster.

Additionally, on January 10, a car accident on the Enugu-Abakaliki expressway in Ebonyi State resulted in the deaths of three people and the injuries of another three.

Two days later, two children and seven other people were killed in a car accident involving an eighteen-seater Katsina State Transport Agency bus that was headed from Kankara Local Government Area to Abuja.

It was learned that the accident happened as a result of the Kaduna/Abuja highway’s ongoing maintenance.

At the Toll Gate on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on January 13, four people were waiting to board a bus when a truck traveling at an excessive speed lost control. Three people were injured, and one victim passed away.

On Monday, January 15, a truck carrying gravel and two smaller cars collided along Airport Road in Lugbe Abuja, Nigeria, resulting in the death of one woman and the injuries of another.

On January 21, in what could be called a “black Sunday,” sixteen people lost their lives in a deadly car crash on the Kano-Kaduna expressway, while four others were injured to varying degrees.

Similarly, in two different accidents that happened on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the same month, seven individuals lost their lives and fourteen others were injured to varied degrees.

Two more persons lost their lives in the second disaster, which happened at the ancient Toll Gate at Ogere in the Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State. Five people perished in the first accident, which happened outside the Foursquare Gospel Camp in the Ajebo axis of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

It was discovered that “tire burst, speed, and fatigue, which led to the loss of control,” were the causes of the accident.

The Federal Road Safety Corps spokeswoman Florence Okpe claims that the driver of the Mazda bus fell asleep at the wheel and collided with the moving truck.

Additionally, two passengers lost their lives in several incidents involving four vehicles on February 1 along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, while eight others were injured in a late-night incident at the Danco Petrol Station.

Nine persons were reportedly killed and seven more injured in a head-on collision between a truck and a Mazda bus on February 20 along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway on the Kere bridge in the Ewekoro, Ogun State, due to excessive speed and a route violation.

On February 27, three people lost their lives and one adult male injured in various ways in a head-on collision in Osun involving a private automobile and commercial DAF truck. The collision was apparently caused by traffic and speeding infractions at Prism Steel Mill, Osogbo-Ikotim Road.

Five individuals were killed in another tragic accident involving two lorries and a bus that happened near NASFAT on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while that was going on. Ten more people suffered serious injuries.

On February 29, an accident near the Fidiwo Bridge, near Ogunmakin, on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway resulted in five fatalities and four injuries.

According to reports, the driver lost control of the vehicle due to tyre burst, speeding, and improper overtaking.

Similar to this, at 7:36 a.m. on Monday, March 4, a deadly traffic accident at Tashar Yari village, along the Zaria-Kano expressway, resulted in the deaths of 12 persons and the injuries of 28 others.

Once more, overloading, speeding, and irresponsible overtaking were the root causes of the collision.

A Ford car collided with a Nissan car in the front after its front tires came off at a fast speed.

One person was killed and eight people were injured in the incident that happened on March 5 at the Ihiala Local Government Area secretariat along the Owerri-Ihiala expressway.

Five persons lost their lives in a deadly traffic accident that happened on March 9 in the Akinfosile neighborhood of Okitipupa Local Government Area in Ondo State along the Benin-Ore-Shagamu expressway.

Before coming to rest in the jungle, the bus was reported to have veered off the highway and somersaulted multiple times.

In response, the FRSC, Public Education Officer, and spokeswoman for the Oyo State Command, Mayowa Odewo, voiced alarm about the rising number of traffic infractions.

He claims that the corps is still working to make sure drivers follow the law and that those who break it are held accountable.

He said, “The rate at which people are going against the rules and regulations is quite higher than before.

“However, the Public Education Department of the FRSC has been doing a lot to ensure we educate the masses at the church, mosque, garages, market, and other relevant public places.

“Causes of road traffic crashes are not limited to speeding and wrongful overtaking. The drivers need to understand that the speed of a vehicle is supposed to commiserate to the braking system.”

Florence Okpe, a spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps, issued a warning that individuals who break traffic laws will face legal consequences.

She said, “Enforcement is ongoing, and whoever is caught violating the traffic rules will face the law. Motorists must ensure to obey the traffic rules and regulations and drive consciously to avoid accidents and the wastage of innocent lives.”