| dc.description.abstract | The rising rate of road transport accidents in Nigeria has been a major concern in the country. According to a 2024 data released by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on road traffic accident, there were 10,130 total casualties, with 8,659 persons injured and 1,471 deaths in Q1 2024. Road traffic accidents involving fleet operators resulted in a total casualty of 472 casualties, with Dangote trucks leading at 65 casualties, followed by National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) with 27 casualties. As reported by the National Bureau of Statistics 2024, the total number of road traffic accident in Q1 2024 was 2,662 persons. The National Bureau of Statistics reports a total of 2,662 road traffic accident in Q1 2024, with serious cases at the top, totalling 1,715 compared to 693 fatal and 254 minor cases. A breakdown by gender shows that male casualties accounted for 79.5% of the fatalities (1,169) and 77.9% of the injuries (6,749). Meanwhile, female casualties represented 20.5% of deaths and 22.1% of injuries. During this period, 3,952 vehicles were involved in road traffic accident, with heavy-duty vehicles and overloaded trucks frequently cited as major risk factors. The FRSC reports that overloading and speeding on highways are significant contributors to accidents. Interstate buses, mass transit systems, and vehicles transporting animals and goods also contribute to the high number of road accidents. According to FRSC 2024, Nigeria is projected to lose approximately 3% of its GDP, estimated at $448.1 billion, due to road transport crashes, with $17.22 billion worth of property lost in 2016 alone. There have been several incidences of truck collapses on Nigerian roads. Recently as reported by FRSC, a collapsed container truck between the FHA Bridge and the ShopRite Pedestrian Bridge along the Lugbe-Airport Road in Abuja has caused a major traffic gridlock on the route. The truck, which collapsed on the Expressway at about 9 am on Tuesday, 10th September 2024 forced outbound vehicles headed towards the airport to divert to the opposite lane, causing even more congestion on the Expressway. Daytime movement of duty heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian roads can cause accidents, traffic gridlock, and loss of lives, as well, it also has economic costs on Nigeria. Considering the impact of the daytime movement of heavy-duty vehicles and the rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, this brief recommends as follow:
The Senate and House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency, The Senate and House Committee on Land Transport, and the Senate and House Committees on Legislative Compliance, through its legislative oversight may consider amending the following sections of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act, 2007: Section 10 (1) (q) of the FRSC Act, 2007: this section grants the Commission the power to make regulations regarding road traffic. The National Assembly can amend the section to explicitly empower the Commission to restrict the movement of heavy-duty vehicles to night-time hours from (9 PM to 5 AM). By doing so, it ensures that such a critical safety measure is clearly mandated by law, reducing ambiguity and reinforcing compliance. | en_US |
