80% road traffic accidents caused by human error – FRSC boss
Shehu Mohammed, the Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO) Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in charge of FCT and Niger, has said 80 per cent of Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) across the 36 states including the FCT are caused by human error.
Mohammed said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that human, mechanical and the environment which was natural were the leading causes of RTCs in the country.
He also said that illicit drug and alcohol abuse, poor vision and over-speeding were also among factors that causes road accidents in the nation.
According to Mohammed, the human error contributed to almost 80 per cent of RTCs because it is the human that normally control the mechanical.
“We as human, we contribute a lot of crashes on the roads, especially during the Ember months where many drivers try to double their efforts to meet up with the year’s demand.
“About 80 per cent of road crashes are caused by human errors because most of the crashes are avoidable and preventable, “ he said.
According to him, for instance, a driver that will start driving from Kano coming through Abuja axis down to the south without a rest is definitely inviting a crash.
“You can imagine the kind of fatigue, and then he gets tired and wants to sleep, and again maybe the vehicle is already overloaded.
“This could cause pressure on the mechanical system of the vehicle which is also a factor contributing to RTCs, ” he said.
“So I think those are the things that normally contribute to this kind of increase in road traffic crashes especially at night, “he said.
Mohammed said that poor vehicle maintenance was also a human error, advising the driver or the owner of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle regularly and periodically for good function of the vehicle.
He said: “but then, the environment, this is natural which is beyond human control.
“However, I think what is happening now at the rainy season is what is …
