The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday sensitised hundreds of worshipers at the United Methodist Church of Nigeria (UMCN) Mile six, Jalingo, on road safety tips to minimise crashes.
Assistant Route Commander Okoduwa Paul, the FRSC Public Education Officer in the state, who led the sensitisation team, told the congregation that road accident was one of the major causes of deaths especially among young people in the country.
Paul said that Corps Commander Frank Okwueze, the Taraba Sector Commander, had directed the team to take the message to the people for collaborative efforts to reduce the menace in the state.
“Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among young people, aged between 15 years and 29 years and are among the top three causes of mortality of people aged 15 years and 44 years.
“According to FRSC statistics, 3,623 Nigerians lost their lives in 7,214 road traffic crashes between the first and third Quarters of 2018.
“This is a huge number of the country’s working population that is being wasted in circumstances that could be collectively prevented,” he said.
According to him, 21 per cent of road traffic crash victims suffer disabilities while about 13.5 per cent are permanently incapacitated and unable to return to work.
Paul warned that without a decisive and collective action, road traffic crash was projected to rise to become the 5th leading cause of death by 2030.
He disclosed that Nigeria loses about N80 billion to road crashes annually which was taking a negative toll on the country’s economy.
He thanked the leader of the congregation, Bishop John Yohana, for giving the corps the opportunity to disseminate the road safety message to people.
In his comments, Rev. Bazel Yoila, Administrative Assistant to Bishop Yohana, commended the FRSC for its relentless efforts to minimise road traffic clashes in the country.
Yoila admonished the congregation to take the tips seriously and apply them as they went about their businesses to reduce road accidents in the country.
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