Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume says it is unacceptable for 2,776 people to be killed and 16,309 others injured in road traffic crashes between January and July this year.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the FRSC Mobile App and National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS), Akume explained that between January and December last year, 5,081 people were killed, while 31,874 were injured in road mishaps.
According to him, appraising the app was intended to raise awareness and sensitise both drivers and passengers on the potential causative factors of road traffic crashes in the country.
He expressed optimism that the app would aid emergency reporting, detecting black spots, issuing eyewitness reports, detecting excess speed and alerting both drivers and passengers, saying that motorists could also use the app to verify when their license or vehicle papers expired, among other features and benefits.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, stated that over the years, the FRSC has been active in formulating and implementing policies aimed at improving road safety administration in the country.
According to him, “the FRSC Mobile App is a software application that can be used on our phones to alert us on sensitive road safety issues through programmed features such as excessive speeding, dangerous driving and verifying our vehicle documents, among others.”
He further explained that the proper application of the features was expected to drastically reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes.
He believed that in this era of technological advancement, FRSC cannot afford to lag behind, pointing out that it was in this light that the corps had decided to adapt and evolve its operations into the global network service system.
The Corps Marshal said that the NACRIS was designed to promote a multi-sectoral approach to crash reporting and data storage, stressing that phase two of the NACRIS project would focus on developing a digitalised crash data template based on inputs from phase 1.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, House of Reps Committee on FRSC, Abiodun Adeshida, believed that with the new app and the ongoing efforts to amend the 2007 FRSC Act by the House Committee, the FRSC was advancing towards a 21st-century standard in technology, ensuring enhanced road safety measures.
Road crashes: 2,776 deaths in seven months unacceptable – SGF, Akume