The Secretary to the Federal Government, Sen. George Akume, has said it is unacceptable for 2,776 people to be killed and 16,309 injured in road traffic crashes between January and July this year.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja during the launch of the FRSC Mobile App and National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS), he stated that between January and December last year, 5,081 people were killed while 31,874 were injured in road mishaps.
Appraising the app, he said it was intended to raise awareness and sensitise both drivers and passengers on the potential causative factors of road traffic crashes.
According to him, the app would aid emergency reporting, detecting black spots, issuing eye witness reports, detecting excess speed and alerting both drivers and passengers. Motorist could also use the app to verify when their license or vehicle papers expire, amongst other features and benefits of the app.
On his part, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, said over the years, the FRSC has been active in formulating and implementing policies aimed at improving road safety administration in the country.
He explained that “the FRSC Mobile App is a software application that can be used on our phones to alert us on sensitive road safety issues through programmed features such as excessive speeding, dangerous driving and verifying our vehicle documents amongst others.
“The proper application of these features is expected to drastically reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes.
“In this era of technological advancement, FRSC cannot afford to lag behind. It is in this light that the corps has decided to adapt and evolve its operations into the global network service system.
“The NACRIS is designed to promote a multi-sectoral approach to crash reporting and data storage. Phase two of the NACRIS project will focus on developing a digitalised crash data template based on inputs from phase 1.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, House Committee on FRSC, Hon. Abiodun Adeshida, said with the new app and the ongoing efforts to amend the 2007 FRSC Act by the House Committee, the FRSC was advancing towards a 21st-century standard in technology, ensuring enhanced road safety measures.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had earlier revealed there were 22,967 traffic crashes in Q2 2023.
According to the NBS, the number represents an 8.56% increase from the previous quarter, totaling 21,733 crashes, but reflects a 9.60% decrease from the 26,282 crashes reported in Q2 2022.
