1,437 deaths recorded in road accidents from January to June 2013 – FRSC Boss

[Mirror]

•Toyota Hiace buses account for 48 per cent of total bus accidents The corps marshal and chief executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, has revealed that between January and June 2013, a total of 1,397 buses were involved in road traffic crashes, while 1,437 were killed and 6,831 persons injured across the country.

Chidoka, made the revelation at a two day sensitisation programme on speed limiting devices, held yesterday in Abuja. He said the programme was being held in collaboration with other stakeholders with a view to restoring sanity on our roads. He said the aim of the sensitisation programme was to make relevant stakeholders realise the consequences of speed violation and the benefits of taking measures to check avoidable crashes on the nation's highways.

Chidoka said studies had shown that road traffic crashes involving buses had been on the increase since 2007 and that the data also revealed that there is an average yearly increase of 126 road traffic crashes involving Toyota Hiace buses, representing 48 per cent of total buses involved in crashes, while 31 per cent of all the buses involved in the crashes have resulted in fire incidents. According to Chidoka, "From extensive investigations and analysis of commuter vehicles carried out by FRSC over a six year period (2007-2012), it was found that the frequencies of crashes involving Toyota Hiace buses was a total of one thousand eight hundred and forty four (1, 844) crashes.

While it is important to note that Toyota Hiace brand is the dominant brand in the commuter bus category, we still hold the view that the crash record is not acceptable. "It is on record that Toyota Hiace YH3 make were recalled in Australia as a result of fire in 1990 and recently in 2012.

National Mirror

[Folami David]

Road accidents has caused so many deaths I personally know of so I'm surprised @ this news. It's not a shocking one @ all....Too bad tho!