The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Oyo State said 146 persons died in various road traffic crashes between January and June.

Joshua Adekanye, state sector commander of the corps, disclosed this to journalists on Friday in Ibadan.

Mr Adekanye also said 618 persons sustained various degrees of injuries in 246 road crashes recorded to have occurred within the period.

Giving a breakdown of the figure, he said 15 persons lost their lives in January, 15 in February, 23 in March, 24 in April, 45 in May, and 24 in June.

He explained that investigation revealed that some crashes were due to speeding, driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, and mechanical fault, among others.

The sector commander cautioned drivers against reckless driving, noting that the command had stepped up its enforcement and public enlightenment across motor parks, churches and mosques.

“We also make use of radio, print and social media to pass the message across to the general public. We also partner with traditional leaders to talk to people in their domain on how to avoid factors that can lead to road traffic crashes.

“In addition to that, we have redoubled our enforcement and mobile court for arraignment and prosecution of traffic offenders without delay, ” he said.

Mr Adekanye further said the corps was aware of the absence of road signs on the roads, adding that the situation had been traced to the activities of scavengers.

He said this could put the lives of both drivers and other road users at risk.

“They (scavengers) are the ones stealing the signpost and plates on the road, and we are talking to the federal and state ministries of works to see how the road signs can be replaced,” he said.

(NAN)