The Borno Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 37 lives were lost in 109 road crashes recorded across the state from January to date.
The state sector commander, Mr. Ashiru Saminu, made this known on Thursday in Maiduguri at the flag-off ceremony of the 2023 Ember Months Campaign organized by the sector in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
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“These crashes involved 123 vehicles and 602 people; 37 out of the 602 people were killed, while 206 others sustained various degrees of injuries.
“The prevalent causes were attributed to overspeeding, overloading, dangerous driving, failure to install speed-limiting devices, lane indiscipline, route violation, use of a phone while driving, and poor vehicle maintenance, among others,” Saminu said.
He noted that, as the lead agency in road traffic administration and safety management, the FRSC was committed to implementing measures and programs during such a period of increased travel to reduce crashes.
According to him, this year’s campaign, themed “Speed thrills, but kills; drive responsibility and avoid overloading”, was premised on excessive speeding and tire bursts as one of the major causes of crashes during such a period.
While commending the Borno Government for its effort in road construction and rehabilitation to ensure seamless transportation and safety of road users in the state, Saminu also appreciated the support from other sister organizations.
“The collaboration and support accorded the command by emergency response agencies such as NEMA, Fire Services, and the Nigerian Red Cross Society cannot be overemphasized.
“Permit me to recognize the efforts and contributions of our Special Marshals, Road Safety Club members, and stakeholders in the transportation sector, including the Borno Express Transport Cooperation, NURTW, NARTO, RTEAN, and Tricycle Association,” Saminu said.
Speaking on behalf of transporters at the event, the state chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Jidda Bishara, and the general manager of Borno Express, Alhaji Grema Kyari, assured their commitment to implementing road safety policies.
NAN