- Edo State’s FRSC reports that 63% of road accident fatalities involve passengers, urging them to speak up against dangerous driving
- Sector Commander Mathew attributes accidents to speeding, ignoring signals, and distractions, emphasizing the need for passenger awareness and safety
The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Cyril Mathew, has revealed that 63% of road accident fatalities in Nigeria involve passengers.
At a town hall meeting, he shared this information in Benin as part of the Ember Months awareness campaign, themed “Speak Up Against Dangerous Driving: Crashes Kill More Passengers than Drivers.”
Mathew attributed most of these accidents to excessive speeding, ignoring traffic signals, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and distractions such as phone use, smoking, and eating while driving.
According to him, drivers’ dangerous behaviours place passengers at significant risk.
Citing statistics from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mathew emphasized that Nigeria records thousands of road traffic deaths each year, with passengers in commercial vehicles making up a significant portion. “About 63% of all road traffic fatalities involve passengers,” he stated.
He also highlighted that studies conducted by the FRSC indicate that in accidents involving commercial drivers, passengers are more likely to suffer severe injuries or death compared to drivers.
This disparity is often due to vehicle designs that provide more safety features, like airbags, to protect drivers, while passengers in poorly designed vehicles lack such protections.
Mathew encouraged passengers to speak up against unsafe driving practices to help protect themselves. “Today, we urge you not to stay silent but speak out to save your lives. Passengers suffer more in accidents, especially in vehicles driven by a single driver,” he advised.
He concluded by urging drivers to adhere to traffic rules to ensure the safety of all passengers.