Tanker explosions and auto crashes in Nigeria are majorly due to poor roads and negligence of drivers claiming several lives and destroying properties.
In January alone, there were several tanker explosions and car crashes that led to the death of over 150 people, while some sustained severe injuries.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), there was a horrendous tanker explosion that claimed over 70 lives at Dikko-Maje Junction in Niger State with several injuries sustained by some of the victims.
Another similar incident along Enugu-Onitsha road on Saturday, 25 January 2025, where a tanker laden with petroleum products rammed into several vehicles caught up in a traffic holdup and caught fire which led to the loss of 18 lives and the destruction of several cars in the inferno.
Recently, about 30 passengers out of 32 were burnt to death in a fatal accident that occurred in Odigbo Local Council of Ondo State during the weekend, two survivors, rescued with serious injuries, later died on the way to the hospital, while two others are still receiving treatment.
The crash happened when two commercial buses collided head-on and burst into flames at the Onipetesi axis of the Ore/Lagos motorway.
Confirming the incident, Samuel Ibitoye, the Ondo State sector commander of the FRSC, disclosed that a preliminary investigation revealed one of the vehicles had driven against traffic, leading to the collision.
Ibitoye urged drivers to exercise caution, ensure proper vehicle maintenance, and avoid reckless driving. He also called on passengers to speak out against unsafe driving practices, emphasising that road safety is a collective responsibility.
In 2024, the FRSC recorded a reduction in crashes as about 5,421 were killed, but there was a 7 percent increase in fatalities.
Speaking at the Channel’s morning brief show recently, Ibitoye attributed the major causes of these crashes to human, mechanical, and environmental factors, noting that the human factor carries a chunk of about 85 percent of it because humans drive.
Read also: FRSC confirms 18 dead in Enugu petrol tanker explosion
“Human beings control so much of it. The human factor is a major one, and that is why we preach most times that Nigerians need to change their attitude toward road safety,” Ibitoye said.
He said that the mechanical factor has to do with the care, maintenance, and other aspects of the vehicle, while the environmental factor has to do with the road, or some other factors, such as weather.
“But mainly, our concern is that of the human factor, because the drivers, they are the ones who are determining what happens on the road.
“They determine the speed they go, the load they carry, and other things that happen on the road,” Ibitoye said.
He added that passengers also have a role to play in road safety by inspecting vehicles before boarding.
“You know the tyre that is bad as a road user, you are expected to check all these things and ensure that this vehicle can convey me safely to where I’m going.
“If not, why don’t you stay back and have your life intact? instead for a driver to take you on the road and have a bonfire, and at the end of the day, kill people on board.
“When you are in the vehicle, on the trip, and the driver is not feeling it, cautiously, do not engage the driver in arguments, do not allow the driver to lose concentration.
He added that if the driver persists with speed after cautioning, you can easily get to a police or military checkpoint and stylishly, report him or, at best, you get off the vehicle and let him go.
He also noted that passengers can report or make comments on the air priority app that was launched in September 2024.
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