62 die in road accidents

The Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) said on Sunday that 62 persons died while several others were injured in various auto crashes across the state between January and March.

The TRACE Public Relations Officer, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta.

Akinbiyi , who stated that 173 crashes were recorded in the state during the period, explained that 190 persons sustained injuries in the incidents.

He said that 27 persons died in each of the months of January and February while eight persons lost their lives in March.

“Out of these 62 persons that died in various road crashes, 54 were male while eight were female, ” he said.

The TRACE spokesperson said that a great percentage of the accidents were due to usage of cell phones while driving, brake failure, over speeding, wrongful overtaking and tyre burst.

He enjoined motorists to drive cautiously, obey traffic regulations and follow instructions from TRACE patrol teams and other traffic agencies.

The spokesman also said that the corps had on Sunday commenced its special patrol throughout the state ahead of the Eid-el-fitri festival, adding that this would last till June 24.

” The exercise will involve monitoring of all motorists and other road users, inclusive of high and low capacity vehicles.

“ This is to ensure safety of lives and property on Ogun State traffic corridor, especially at diversion points where road re-construction is ongoing, ” he said.

He said TRACE Corps Commander and Chief Executive, Olaseni Ogunyemi, had enjoined motorists to be safety conscious and ensure strict compliance with traffic rules and regulations.