President/Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA), Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, has said global road accidents account for 1.25 million deaths and about 50 million injuries every year.
Jamoh said this in his welcome address at the CIOTA/Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Safety Awareness Campaign for commercial drivers at the Ojota New Motor Park yesterday in Lagos.
He said CIOTA collaborated with FRSC to drive an aggressive enlightenment campaign for safety on the roads among commercial drivers because an informed driver would be safety-conscious and ensure he saves the lives of all those in his vehicle.
Jamoh said CIOTA was worried about the growing accidents on the roads because such occurrences, which could lead to death or permanent injuries and disabilities, affect the youth population more than other age groupings.
The CIOTA president said it is unacceptable that Africa, which has just 2 per cent of the world’s vehicles, record 16 per cent of road fatalities yearly.
The Group Managing Director of Temple Group Limited, Prince Olusegun Obayendo, expressed worry at the growing number of road accidents, despite the efforts of the FRSC and other road safety agencies.