Crashes: 85 people die within 6 months in Edo – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo said no fewer than 85 deaths were recorded in 117 road traffic accidents in the state in the past six months.

The FRSC state Sector Commander in the state, Mr Anthony Oko, who made the disclosure to our reporter on Monday in Benin, said accidents occurred from January to June.

Oko said the figure indicated an increase when compared with 57 deaths recorded in 124 crashes within the same period in 2017.

He said that from January to June this year, 41 of the crashes recorded were fatal, with 541 persons injured, as against 20 fatal accidents and 366 persons injured the same period in 2017.

The sector commander said that January recorded the highest number of crashes during the period under review, while in 2017 January, February and April accounted for the highest occurrences due to mass movement.

Oko said that Speed Violation (SPV) topped the major causes of mishaps in the state, followed by Brake Failure (BFL) and Mechanical Deficiency (MDV) .

He advised motorists to drive within approved speed limit and also ensure that their vehicles were road-worthy.

He also warned them against dangerous overtaking that could lead to loss of control, especially during heavy down pour “when the roads are wet and slippery and cannot hold tyres of vehicles.’’