The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Zone RS10 has said that the number of road crashes in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States have declined.

The corps also said there was 48.2 per cent reduction in deaths through Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) in the three states in 2018, when compared with 2017 figures.

Officer in charge of the zone, Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Kayode Olagunju, disclosed this on Saturday in a statement issued by the Zonal Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Commander (ACC) Aliyu Ma’aji.

On the number of injured people, he said that a 7.5 per cent reduction was also achieved in 2018 when compared with 2017 figures.

“However, the number of RTC went up from 345 cases in 2017 to 381 in 2018, giving a 9.4 per cent increase,” he said.

According to him, a total of 565 vehicles crashed in the zone in 2018 as against 544 vehicles in 2017.

“A further breakdown of the types of vehicles involved in crashes in the last three years revealed that motorcycles topped the list with 713 (39.9%), followed by cars with 674 (37.7%) and mini-bus with 105 (5.9%),” he said.

Highlighting the categories of vehicles involved in the crashes, he said that commercial vehicles were more involved with a total number of 1,120, followed by 660 private vehicles and eight government vehicles.

He identified speed violation, dangerous driving, route violation, wrongful overtaking and tyre burst as prominent factors for the crashes.

“Speed violation resulted in 500 cases (46.2%); dangerous driving, 94 cases (8.7%); route violation, 91 cases (8.4%); wrongful overtaking, 86 cases (7.9%) and tyre burst, 85 cases (7.8%). Most of the crashes recorded in the zone occurred along Sokoto-Jega, Jega-Koko-Yauri, Sokoto-Mafara, Mafara-Tsafe and Tsafe-Funtua routes,” he said.

The zonal commander enjoined all road users within the zone to always obey traffic rules and regulations.

While reminding the public that accidents could be avoided, he admonished that vehicles should be properly maintained and put in roadworthy conditions.

He promised that the corps would continue to live up to its responsibilities, especially in the areas of public education, drivers’ training, enforcement and rescue, and emergency management services. (NAN)