The Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has said it recorded 111 road traffic crashes in the first quarter of 2024.

The sector commander, Babatunde Farinloye, told journalists on Tuesday in Lagos that 535 people were involved in the road crashes, of whom 17 died within the period under review.

“We had a total of 179 casualties, which comprised 162 injured persons and 17 deaths; a total of 111 cases were recorded: 14 were fatal, 65 were serious and 32 were minor,” he added.

The sector commander said 98 commercial vehicles, 69 owned by individuals and two government vehicles were involved in the accidents.

“Our target is zero fatality; not that accidents will not happen, but we are pushing for zero fatality. Accidents occur as a result of many reasons, including environmental and mechanical error, but the cause of the accident is primarily human error.

“It is humans that will go above recommended speed limits; they will not recognise signals and signs on the road; they don’t maintain the vehicle; they will see that the road is not good and still want to go above the speed limits. They are not in a mature state of mind and still want to drive the vehicle; anyone who is below the age of 18 is not expected to drive a vehicle; one must be up to 18 to drive,” he said.

He urged parents to ensure that their children are in a mature state of mind, proficient and have a valid licence before driving.

The sector commander cautioned against driving while using the phone and under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

(NAN)