Poor Road Conditions and Reckless Driving Cause 2,800 Deaths in Six Months – FRSC
Poor Road Conditions and Reckless Driving Cause 2,800 Deaths in Six Months – FRSC
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has attributed nearly 3,000 deaths from road traffic accidents in Nigeria during the first half of 2025 to poor road conditions, reckless driving, and vehicle defects.
At a media briefing held on Thursday in Abuja during the 2025 Half-Year Strategy Session, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed disclosed that between January and June, a total of 5,281 crashes were recorded nationwide, involving 39,793 people. The accidents resulted in 2,838 fatalities and 17,818 rescues.
“Statistics show that the first half of 2025 has posed significant challenges. From January to June, there were 5,281 road traffic crashes across the country involving 39,793 individuals.
Unfortunately, 2,838 lives were lost, while 17,818 people were rescued. This reflects a 3.9 percent increase in crashes and a 2.2 percent rise in fatalities,” he stated.
“The total number of people involved in road crashes in the period under review also increased by 8.9 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024,” he stated.
Mohammed also disclosed measures being taken to enforce road traffic compliance among motorists, noting that in the period, FRSC operatives arrested 290,887 traffic offenders for committing 319,798 offences.
“Meanwhile, 250,720 offenders were arrested and 271,895 offences recorded in 2024. This reflects a 16 per cent rise in arrests and a 14.9 per cent increase in offences booked.
“The increase in the percentage of arrests and offences does not reflect FRSC as a weakened institution.
“On the contrary, it affirms that the corps is more vigilant and responsive to ensuring safety through visible enforcement,” he stressed.
Speaking on the development in an exclusive conversation with a correspondent, FRSC spokesman, Olusegun Ogungbemide, disclosed that bad roads and faulty vehicles contributed to the staggering numbers.
He, however, added that indiscipline and reckless driving by some motorists also resulted in fatalities.
“There are many factors responsible for the crashes. The road could be a factor, faulty vehicle, and majorly recklessness and road indiscipline by drivers, mainly as a result of distraction and excessive speeding,” he said.
Ogungbemide, however, stressed efforts by the FRSC, supervised by the Corps Marshal, to curb the number of fatalities, including the training and retraining of FRSC personnel to boost their capacity and effectiveness on the road.
He said the agency also introduced a mobile application designed to empower commuters with real-time road navigation support and safety alerts.
“Since Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed took office last year, the FRSC has made notable progress.
This includes training and retraining personnel to improve service delivery, launching a mobile app to help commuters navigate roads during their journeys, and conducting thorough road surveys to guide the Ministry of Works and FERMA on necessary interventions.
There has also been widespread awareness campaigns focused on educating commuters about their right to safe travel and encouraging them to report reckless driving.
Furthermore, the Corps has stepped up enforcement against speeding by implementing speed-limiting devices, cracked down on distracted driving such as using phones behind the wheel, and addressed issues of overloading, alongside ongoing media advocacy,” Ogungbemide explained.
He added that the Corps Marshal has instructed commanding officers across states to fully utilize all available tools to create a safer driving environment and reduce road accidents.
