The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said 81 persons lost their lives in 827 road accidents recorded in the state from May 2017 to March 2018.
Mr Ladi Lawanson, Commissioner for Transportation, gave the figures at the 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the three years in office of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, at Alausa, Lagos.
Lawanson said that 1,175 persons received various degrees of injuries in the crashes during the period under review.
”As always, human error and indiscipline have been identified as most frequent reason for road accidents. The State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) recorded 827 road traffic crashes involving about 3, 898 vehicles leading to 1,256 casualties.
”Out of the 1, 256 casualties recorded during period under review, 81 persons lost their lives (54 male adults, 21 female adults, one male child and five female children), while 1,175 persons comprising of 686 male adults, 416 female adults, 44 male children and 29 female children received various degrees of injuries,” he said.
Lawanson said that further analysis showed that 61 of the crashes were fatal, and the vehicle ownership revealed that 1, 864 were private vehicles, 2,024 commercial vehicles and 11 were government vehicles.
He said that human, mechanical and environmental factors accounted for the crashes.
The commissioner said that the agency also impounded 7, 419 vehicles for different violations of the state traffic laws.
He said that the state government recognised that the ongoing traffic improvement intervention activities had been contributing to the traffic gridlock and impediments to free flow of traffic in some areas of the state.
Lawanson, however, appealed to residents to be patient with the government, saying that the pains of today will become the gains of commuters and other road users who skill reap the benefits of modern transportation synergy.