YULETIDE SEASON AND ROAD TRAFFIC CRASH PREVENTION

As another Yuletide season approaches, the familiar rise in travel activity comes with an equally familiar risk: increased road traffic crashes. This period demands a coordinated national effort to prevent avoidable deaths on Nigerian roads.

Recent figures from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) highlight a troubling trend. In 2024 alone, 5,421 people died in road traffic crashes, a 7% increase compared with 2023. What makes this more concerning is that the total number of crashes actually fell from 10,617 in 2023 to 9,570 in 2024, along with a decline in recorded injuries. Yet fatalities still rose. That indicates that when crashes occur, they are becoming deadlier.
No country can continue losing more than five thousand citizens every year to incidents that are largely preventable. As the lead agency for road safety management, the FRSC carries a central responsibility in reversing this pattern. The Corps, under the current leadership of Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, has the institutional capacity to reduce crashes and eliminate avoidable deaths, but this depends on access to adequate resources, equipment, and logistics.

Still, preventing road traffic crashes cannot fall on one institution alone. Critical stakeholders, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Tanker Drivers Union, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Nigeria Police, state traffic agencies, NEMA, and others, must take up their roles with urgency. With the expected surge in human and vehicular movement during the festive period, these organisations must work collectively to ensure safer roads.

A persistent challenge is driver behaviour. Many crashes stem from deliberate violations of traffic rules, speeding, drunk driving, dangerous overtaking, and disregard for road signs. These actions endanger not just the offenders but every other road user. The FRSC should apply firm sanctions against recalcitrant drivers to deter dangerous conduct.

Infrastructure also plays a role. Poor road conditions, especially pothole-ridden stretches and failed portions of highways, contribute significantly to crashes and vehicle breakdowns. Governments at all levels need to accelerate maintenance and rehabilitation efforts, particularly on major inter-state corridors likely to carry heavy festive traffic.

Also, the welfare of FRSC personnel must not be toyed with.

These men and women are stationed on public roads every festive season, ensuring our safety on the roads. They also play critical roles in rescuing accident victims across the country, hence government should ensure that what is due to them is released timely as a way of motivation.

Beyond enforcement and infrastructure, public enlightenment remains essential. Many drivers still underestimate the risks associated with fatigue, night travel, and poor vehicle maintenance. Community-based awareness programmes, targeted media campaigns, and consistent education at motor parks can help correct misconceptions and reinforce safe driving habits. The more informed drivers are, the fewer risky decisions they are likely to make on the road.
Technology should also play a stronger role in improving road safety outcomes. Wider deployment of speed cameras, automated number plate recognition, and breathalyser checkpoints can tighten compliance and reduce human error during enforcement. Data-driven monitoring will help authorities identify high-risk routes, allocate resources more effectively, and respond quickly to emerging threats. By combining technology with strong institutional support, Nigeria stands a better chance of reversing the fatality trend and protecting more lives during the festive season and beyond.

As Christmas and New Year celebrations draw closer, the expectation is straightforward: no family should lose a loved one on the road. Achieving a crash-free Yuletide season is possible, but it requires discipline from drivers, commitment from stakeholders, and decisive action from authorities. The cost of inaction is already too high.

Tochukwu Jimo Obi, Obosi Anambra State