Road Safety Week: 1, 903 Children die in road accidents in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said 1,903 children had died in road accidents in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Imoh Etuk, the Corps’ Public Education Officer, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja as part of activities to mark this year’s Road Safety Week taking place from May 4 to May 10.

According to the commission, 1,903 children were killed and 8,667 others were injured in 61,806 reported cases of road crashes during the period.

“ 1,138 males and 765 female children died in the last 5 years, while 5,426 males and 3,241 female children were also injured during the same period.

“ Global statistics on road crashes indicate that around 186,300 children under 18 years die from road traffic crashes annually.

“Also, rates of road traffic death are three times higher in developing countries than in developed countries,” Etuk said.

He said the United Nations sought to draw global attention to the plight of children on the world’s roads and generate action to better ensure their safety, with the theme “Save Kids’ Lives”.

He said that the week would feature several events hosted by governments, international agencies, civil society organisations and private companies.

The FRSC public education officer said that the week would also feature delivery of the “Child Declaration for Road Safety” to policy makers.

“ These events will further highlight the World Health Organisation’s package of ten key strategies for keeping children safe on the road,” he said.

The statement said the Corps Marshal of the Commission, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, would lead the Corps’ management team on advocacy visits to strategic partners and stakeholders on road safety, as part of the celebration.

He would also visit the Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Ministries of Health, Education and Women Affairs, the Federal Character Commission and the House Committee on Road Safety.

Similarly, the statement said, the Road Safety Officers’ Wives Association (ROSOWA) would also use the week to visit orphanages, while special Juma’at and Church services would be part of activities to mark the week.