The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has released its Road Transport Data Q4 2023 Report, revealing a 24.23% increase in road accidents compared to Q3 2023. The total number of accidents rose to 2,717 in Q4 2023 from 2,187 in the previous quarter.
However, in a year-on-year analysis, the report showcased a positive trend, indicating a 33.12% decrease from the 3,617 accidents recorded in Q4 2022.
The NBS report
The categorization of accidents highlighted those serious cases soared to 1,772 in Q4 2023, surpassing fatal and minor cases at 687 and 258, respectively.
- The quarter-on-quarter analysis exposed a 29.13% increase in fatal cases, a 24.87% surge in serious cases, and a 9.32% rise in minor cases in Q4 2023 compared to Q3 2023.
- In terms of gender distribution, the report revealed that 83.45% of the 1,323 persons killed were males (adults and children), with 16.55% being females.
- The injuries sustained also leaned towards males (76.01% of 9,116 injured) compared to females (23.99%).
- The total number of vehicles involved in accidents spiked to 4,195 in Q4 2023, marking a 24.44% increase from Q3 2023, which recorded 3,371 vehicles.
- Commercial vehicles took the brunt, with 2,306 incidents, while private vehicles stood at 1,025, government vehicles at 40, and diplomatic vehicles at zero.
On zonal analysis, the North-Central led in the number of accidents with 905, followed by the South-West with 650, and the South-South recorded the least with 141.
In terms of casualties, the North-Central topped with 3,152, the North-West followed with 2,500, and the South-South recorded the least casualties at 412.
Despite the alarming quarterly surge, the NBS data indicates a positive year-on-year trend, prompting a closer examination of the factors contributing to these road accidents and strategies for sustained improvement in road safety.
