The Federal Road Safety Corps says a total of 850 road traffic crashes were recorded in the Federal Capital Territory resulting in 159 deaths and 1,572 injuries between January and November.
The Sector Commander, RS7.1 FCT, Oga Ochi, disclosed this at the 2021 Special Marshal Sectorial Workshop with the theme, ‘Volunteerism beyond Ember months: The role of Special Marshals in combating road traffic crashes,’ on Saturday, in Abuja.
Ochi said over speeding was one of the major challenges against road use in the FCT owing to a number of good roads within the territory.
He said that 75 per cent of the crashes was as a result of over speeding, stating that “Between January and November 19, a total of 850 road traffic crashes was recorded in the FCT resulting in 159 deaths and 1 572 injuries.
“This trend, if not quickly addressed and reversed, could constitute a major impediment to the economic growth of FCT. The giant challenges occasioned by increasing rate of RTCs are the lack of obedience to traffic rules, impatience on the part of road users and relative lack of acknowledge of road code.
“The tasks of reversing the trend as contained in the decade of action for Road Safety 2021- 2030 required that Special Marshals must brace up to greater performance beyond Ember Months Campaign.
“We must take advantage of the conducive environment created by the leadership of the Corps and FCT to maximize our service delivery to road users in the FCT,’’ he said.
The Zonal Coordinator, RS7, Usman Adaji, said the special marshal volunteers in ensuring sanity on the roads in the FCT.
The FCT Coordinator, Sani Adisa, said there was a positive turn around in the FCT and RS7.1 sector command going by the influence of special marshal in complementing the activities of the corps.
(NAN).
