The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps has said 61 people died while 302 got injured in accidents in the state during the 2023 ‘ember months.’

The spokesperson for TRACE, Babatunde Akinbiyi, gave the figures during an interview in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Mr Akinbiyi said that 26 people died and 84 got injured in road accidents in September, while four died and 60 were injured in accidents in October.

He said that 18 people lost their lives and 57 got injured in road accidents in November, while 13 died and 101 got injured in December.

Comparing the number casualties from road accidents in 2022 “ember months” with that of 2023 “ember months” in the state, he said that the number of deaths and the number of injured persons were reduced by 4.69 per cent and 18.16 per cent, respectively, in 2023.

“The number of accidents also decreased by 17.41 per cent. Motor vehicles contributed to 35 per cent of the crashes, buses, 11 per cent; articulated vehicles contributed a larger percentage of 44 per cent.

“Motorcycle and tricycle contributed to six per cent and one per cent of the total crashes, respectively, while pedestrians accounted for three per cent,” he said.

Mr Akinbiyi said that the most common cause of the road accidents remained excessive speeding which contributed 32 per cent.

“Mechanical faults caused 13 per cent of the accidents, driving against traffic/other prohibited directions, 17 per cent; tyre bursting, six per cent; dangerous driving and wrongful overtaking, 11 per cent.

“Others are brake failures which have nine per cent. Others which contributed 12 per cent can be attributed to fatigue, weather, failed portions of the roads, driving under influence of drugs or alcohol, among others,” he said.

(NAN)