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.
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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.