80% road traffic accidents caused by human error- FRSC boss
Mr. Shehu Mohammed, the Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO) Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in charge of FCT and Niger, has said 80 percent of Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) across the thirty-six states including the FCT are caused by human error.
Mohammed said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that humans, mechanicals, and the environment which was natural were the leading causes of RTCs in the country.
He also said that illicit drug and alcohol abuse, poor vision, and over-speeding were also among the factors that cause road accidents in the nation.
According to Mohammed, human error contributed to almost 80 percent of RTCs because it is the human that normally controls the mechanical.
“We as humans we contribute to a lot of crashes on the roads, especially during the Ember months where many drivers try to double their efforts to meet up with the year’s demand.
“About 80 percent of road crashes are caused by human errors because most of the crashes are avoidable and preventable, “he said.
According to him, for instance, a driver that will start driving from Kano coming through Abuja axis down to the south without rest is definitely inviting a crash.
“You can imagine the kind of fatigue, and then he gets tired and want to sleep, and again maybe the vehicle is already overloaded.
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“This could cause pressure on the mechanical system of the vehicle which is also a factor contributing to RTCs, ” he said.
“So I think those are the things that normally contributed to this kind of increase in road traffic crashes, especially at night, “he said.
Mohammed said that poor vehicle maintenance was also a human error adding that the driver or the owner of the vehicle was to maintain the vehicle regularly and periodically for good function of the vehicle.
He said: “but then, the environment, this is natural which is beyond human control.
“However, I think what is happening now at the rainy season is what is causing the increase in the traffic crashes.
“You will agree with me that the low visibility during rainfall, the slippery road, and then people not been able to see far may likely contribute to some of the causes of the increase in the RTCs, ” he said.
Mohammed urged the motorists to pay more attention to highway signs, adding that drivers ought to adopt defensive driving techniques by scanning through the roads and considering other road users to prevent crashes.
The FRSC boss reiterated the corps corporate strategic role for the year 2022 as to reduce road crashes and attendant fatality by two percent.
