Road Crashes: Stakeholders Urged to Back Stronger Safety Measures
Nigeria continues to face an alarming rise in road traffic crashes, with experts and safety advocates calling for urgent and coordinated action to stem the growing loss of lives on the nation’s highways.
Recent fatal crashes in Kwara, Kogi and Ogun states, which claimed at least 32 lives and left several others injured, have renewed concerns over the country’s road safety record. According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the crashes were largely caused by driver fatigue, excessive speeding, wrongful overtaking and other traffic violations.
Despite sustained public awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement and policy reforms introduced by the FRSC under Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, many motorists continue to flout traffic regulations, undermining efforts to reduce road accidents.
Road safety experts identified speeding, reckless overtaking, the use of expired or substandard tyres and unsafe night travel as major contributors to the high rate of crashes across the country. They stressed that adherence to traffic laws remains critical to protecting lives.
Concerns have also been raised over the growing number of ageing commercial vehicles on Nigerian roads. Many fleet operators have been accused of failing to replace old vehicles, conduct regular maintenance or allow safety inspections, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.
Stakeholders have therefore called for the recertification of fleet operators and stricter roadworthiness inspections to ensure that only safe vehicles are allowed to transport passengers and goods.
They also noted that poor vehicle maintenance, worsened by prevailing economic challenges, has contributed significantly to road crashes, urging vehicle owners to prioritise repairs and comply with mandatory safety standards.
The stakeholders further advocated stronger legal powers for the FRSC to enforce compliance across all categories of vehicle owners, including government agencies, insisting that road safety laws should apply equally to everyone without exception.
They emphasised that reducing road traffic fatalities requires collective action involving government agencies, transport unions, fleet operators, motorists and the general public.
According to them, preventing avoidable road crashes is a shared responsibility, adding that greater compliance with traffic regulations and improved vehicle safety standards will go a long way in making Nigerian roads safer for all.
