The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has announced that it rescued 1,075 injured road crash victims across Lagos State in 2025, highlighting significant progress in road safety enforcement and emergency response operations.
In a statement, LASTMA Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed that these rescue operations were executed across critical traffic corridors through rapid incident response frameworks, robust inter-agency synergy, and strategic personnel deployment to high-risk flashpoints, ensuring victims of road mishaps received prompt and lifesaving assistance.
According to him, “Operational statistics further indicate that LASTMA’s intensified enforcement drive culminated in the impoundment of 5,581 private vehicles for diverse traffic infractions, while 10,825 commercial vehicles were similarly apprehended for violations ranging from reckless driving and overloading to obstruction, mechanical deficiencies, and flagrant disregard for extant traffic regulations.”
The agency also reported that 760 motorists were apprehended for driving against traffic, a violation it identified as a major cause of fatal collisions on Lagos roads.
According to the General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the figures reflect a shift toward proactive traffic management driven by technology-based monitoring, intelligence-led enforcement, and sustained public enlightenment campaigns aimed at improving motorists’ behaviour.
He noted that traffic officers routinely face risks while responding to crash scenes, rescuing victims, clearing obstructions, and coordinating with emergency responders to prevent secondary accidents and restore traffic flow.
The authority attributed many crashes recorded during the year to speeding, mechanical failure, driver fatigue, impaired driving, and dangerous manoeuvres such as one-way driving.
It described the impoundment of vehicles as part of a broader deterrence strategy designed to remove unsafe vehicles from the roads and compel compliance with traffic laws.
LASTMA expressed concern about persistent one-way violations, warning that the practice often results in head-on collisions with severe consequences.
The agency said enforcement efforts would continue alongside advocacy campaigns targeted at transport unions, fleet operators, and the general public.
The agency maintained that while enforcement has yielded results, sustained road safety depends on collective responsibility, urging motorists to obey speed limits, ensure vehicle roadworthiness, and comply with lawful directives from traffic officers.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
