The Federal Road Safety Corps, Osun State Sector Command has disclosed that 182 people died in road crashes in Osun State between January and October 2021.
The Sector Commander of the (FRSC) in the state, Corps Commander Paul Okpe disclosed this today in his office in Osogbo, the state capital while speaking on the Global Week of the Road Traffic Accident Victims Remembrance Day.
He said 269 road crashes were recorded while 754 were injured and 1,419 were rescued by FRSC personnel.
He said most of the crashes occurred on the Ikire/Gbongan/Ife/Ilesa/Ipetu/Owena road and that most of the crashes involved travellers passing through Osun to different destinations.
According to him, “Most of these people that died in the road crashes do not live in Osun State. Most of them travel from the North and some travel from other parts of the South-West.
“From what we have observed, some of the drivers travel long hours without resting. And also, some of these road crashes happen in the night and the drivers engage in route violation.”
He said vegetation on the median of the highways was obstructing clear sight for drivers and commended members of Osun State Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) for clearing vegetation on the median around Ikire. He said this would aid safe driving and security on the highways.
He said FRSC was also enlisting the supports of volunteers in communities across the state as first responders in case of road traffic crashes.
He said, “There are communities around the major highways in this state. We are training volunteers from the communities across the state as first responders in the rescue of accident victims. So, we are going to engage more of them.”