By JAMILA ABBA
Taraba State joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Crash Victims, with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) revealing the human toll of crashes in the state.
During a media partnership programme with the Taraba State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the Press Centre in Jalingo, organised by the Sector Commander of the FRSC,CC Anna Attah,Said those involved were not just numbers,they were fathers, mothers, children, traders and students who never made it home.
She said,between January and October 2026 alone, Taraba recorded 115 road traffic crashes, resulting in 72 deaths and 374 injuries.
The Sector Commandant further stated that,the commemoration was not just about figures, but about remembering those who lost their lives, and acknowledging the physical and psychological pains faced by survivors and affected families.
She noted that more than 50 million people have lost their lives globally in road traffic crashes since the first recorded road death, while hundreds of millions have sustained injuries.
According to her, road traffic crashes remain a major public health and developmental challenge, particularly for children and young adults.
Commandant Anna Atta explained that the United Nations Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2021-2030, seeks to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
Providing national statistics, She said Nigeria recorded 10,617 crashes in 2022, resulting in 5,081 deaths and 31,874 injuries.
Atta added that crashes declined by 10 per cent to 9,570 in 2024, compared with the previous year, while fatalities increased by seven per cent to 5,421. A total of 31,154 people also sustained injuries during the period.
Earlier, the Taraba State Chairman of the NUJ, Sule Agyo, appreciated the FRSC sector commander for agreeing to partner with journalists in the state.
Agyo said the engagement would strengthen interaction between the Corps and journalists, enabling the media to keep residents informed about road safety issues and developments.
During the interactive session, journalists raised concerns about overloading, over speeding, vehicle racketeering and the role of the FRSC in addressing the challenges.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for journalists to seek clarification on road safety enforcement and the responsibilities of the Corps in reducing crashes across the state.
