The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said on Tuesday that 4,983 motorists were arrested for various traffic offences during its just-concluded Sallah special patrol nationwide.
Mr Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, who disclosed this in a statement received in Lagos, said that the motorists were apprehended for over 6,097 offences committed across 2,360 routes covered by the corps during the period.
Kazeem said that 1,540 persons were contravened the seat belt use violation, which was the most prevalent offence recorded during the period.
According to him, the corps also conducted free and voluntary eye test on 1,761 drivers nationwide in during the period.
“Out of the total number of 1,761 drivers tested by the optometrists, 350 drivers were discovered to have sight defects while 35 drivers went home with free eye glasses.
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“The eye test which lasted from Friday, 17, to Sunday Aug. 26, was successfully carried out in collaboration with Optometrists Association across the country.’’
He added that various Mobile Court trials were conducted across the country during the period with a total of 102 persons arraigned compared to 218 persons in 2017.
He said that 99 offenders were convicted compared to 208 in 2017 while three persons were discharged and acquitted.
He said that a total of 612 persons were rescued without injury as against 552 persons in the same period in 2017 representing 10.87 per cent increase resulting from improved patrol operations.
Kazeem said that the total number of persons rescued with injuries in road traffic crashes during the Sallah period was 397 compared to 400 in 2017, representing a decrease by 0.75 per cent.
Furthermore, he said that 118 crashes were recorded with 63 fatal cases compared to 79 in 2017 which represents 20 per cent decrease in total number of people killed.
Sixty one crashes were serious compared to 83 in 2017 which represents 26.51 per cent decrease; and a total of 26 were minor crashes compared to 22 in 2017 which represents 18.18 per cent.”
He said that of the 1,072 persons were affected in road traffic crashes involving 213 vehicles compared to 221 in 2017, and that 63 persons died as against 79 in 2017.
He added that a total of 201 animals were also involved in crashes in 2018 as against two in 2017.
A breakdown of vehicles involved in road traffic crashes across the nation during the period were 18 Tanker/Trailers, 21 trucks, 37 buses, 89 cars, 29 motorcycles, 10 tricycles, nine pickups, and 201 animals.
He said that the corps had widened its coverage due to the establishment of more FRSC Commands,outposts, road side clinics and Zebra points which feed in reports from different routes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Corps Marshal Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, had directed that the 2018 Sallah special patrol should cover 45 corridors including Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi; Mokwa-Birnin.
Others were Maiduguri-Biu-Numan-Jalingo-Wukari; Akwanga-Lafiya-Makurdi; Jos-Bauchi-Gombe; Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Dutse-Azare-Potiskum, Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos, and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano.