The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) identified speed violations as the leading cause of road traffic crashes in Nigeria between 2020 and 2022.
This information comes from the 2023 Social Statistics Report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which analysed socio-economic developments in Nigeria during this period.
According to the NBS report, road accidents caused by speed violations totalled 18,386 over the three years, with 5,472 incidents in 2020, 6,336 in 2021, and 6,578 in 2022.
- The second leading cause of road traffic crashes was loss of control, accounting for 9,784 accidents over the three-year span. This was followed by sign/light violations, which caused 3,994 accidents.
- Dangerous driving ranked as the fourth major cause of road traffic crashes between 2020 and 2022, resulting in 3,005 accidents. Tyre bursts were the fifth leading cause, with 2,328 incidents recorded.
- Route violations were the sixth leading cause of road traffic crashes during this period, with 1,956 incidents. Brake failures accounted for 1,879 incidents, making it the seventh leading cause.
Additionally, causes not specified and categorized as “others” accounted for 1,540 accidents, ranking eighth. Wrongful overtaking, with 1,514 incidents, and mechanical deficiencies, with 1,194 incidents, were the ninth and tenth leading causes of road traffic crashes, respectively.
More insight
The 2023 Social Statistics Report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also provides comprehensive insights into road traffic crashes in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, detailing the number of fatal crashes, incidents with serious injuries, crashes with minor injuries, and the overall number of people injured or killed.
- In 2020, the report documented 11,875 road traffic crashes, with 2,961 being fatal, 7,627 resulting in serious injuries, and 1,347 involving minor injuries. These accidents led to 33,311 injuries and 5,601 deaths.
- In 2021, there were 13,027 road traffic crashes, with 3,218 fatal incidents, 8,324 causing serious injuries, and 1,485 involving minor injuries. This resulted in 38,075 injuries and 6,205 deaths.
- In 2022, the report showed 13,656 road traffic crashes, with 3,309 being fatal, 8,953 resulting in serious injuries, and 1,394 involving minor injuries. These accidents led to 38,930 injuries and 6,456 deaths.
- The report highlights the alarming increase in road traffic crashes and the significant number of casualties each year, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures and interventions to prevent further loss of lives.
Additionally, the NBS report shows that vehicles used for commercial purposes were most frequently involved in road traffic crashes across the country during the 2020 to 2022 period, with 11,898 involved in 2020, 13,611 in 2021, and 14,246 in 2022.
Private vehicles were the second most involved in road traffic crashes, with 6,634 incidents in 2020, 6,810 in 2021, and 4,906 in 2022. Government-owned vehicles ranked third, with 208 involved in road traffic crashes in 2020, 159 in 2021, and 269 in 2022.