The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday said no fewer than 36 persons had died in motor accidents in Ondo state from January till date.

Sector Commander of the corps in the state, Mr Rotimi Adeleye, made this known at the 2018 AfricanRoad Safety Day and World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims, in Akure.

The United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) adopted third Sunday in November every year as World Day for the remembrance for road traffic victims. Theme for this year’s edition is “Roads Have Stories.”

Adeleye said that FRSC was organizing a week-long activities to commemorate the event and to sensitise the living to the need to stem the tide of road traffic crashes.

He said that there were some black spots on some roads, including Oka-Akoko axis in North Senatorial District, Akure-Owo axis, Ore-Lagos Expressway and Onyeragbulem Junction in Akure, where accidents often occurred in the state.

“On May 29, 16 lives were lost to road crashes in Oka-Akoko, with 13 of the victims burnt to ashes without identification.

“On Jan. 21, along Akure-Owo road, near Celestial Church by Agbogbo Junction, eight people died on-the-spot in an accident.

“In the same vein, on July 15, at Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area, eight people also died.

“Also, the most recentthat claimed lives of a family at Onyeragbulem junction in Akure occurred on Oct. 3 when a mother with her two children and elderly woman died,” he said.

Adeleye said that the crashes were caused by commercial drivers, but stated that the command had introduced enforcement to the section on any erring driver of speeding.

“We have put enforcement in place, if you traverse the state and you are speeding and you are apprehended, we are ready to delay you for two hours.

“With this enforcement, it will put some senses into their head so that when you get to Ondo state you will reduce your speed and put some sensesin your driving culture,” he said.

The commander said that the effects of the crashes were felt not only within the immediate families but in the extended and nation “because it depletes it virile workforce’’.

He, therefore, called on major stakeholders and road users to join hand with the command to make the roads safer, especially during the yuletide.

“Road safety is everybody’s business; therefore, everybody should be involved in one way or the other in making our highways safe.

“We are all aware that government alone cannot effectively fund road safety programmes, neither can a government agency like FRSC single-handedly deal effectively with road safety issues,” Adeleye said.

While speaking at the event, the Ondo state governor,Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, commended the efforts of the FRSC in reduction of road crashes in the state. (NAN)