FRSC Overhaul Yields 10% Crash Reduction, as Tech Reforms Take Hold

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded a 10 per cent decline in road traffic crashes following a sweeping administrative and technological overhaul launched last year, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed has disclosed.

Speaking at a media parley in Lagos on Thursday, Mohammed said the reforms, introduced since his appointment in May 2024, have pivoted the agency from a purely enforcement-driven body into a technology-first institution focused on accountability and public service.

Central to the transformation is the FRSC Mobile App, launched in September 2024, which allows motorists to verify driver’s licences and vehicle documents, monitor real-time traffic, report crashes, and access emergency alerts. Back-end upgrades include the National Road Traffic Crash Information System, designed to inform evidence-based policies, as well as an enhanced e-ticketing platform tied to a unified penalty-point database that tracks repeat offenders and can trigger licence withdrawal.

Operationally, the corps expanded its highway footprint with the creation of 14 unit commands, two new outposts, extra rescue clinics, and 35 corridor commands targeting critical routes. Logistics were also bolstered with 27 new operational vehicles—including ambulances and patrol pick-ups, alongside the refurbishment of 60 aging patrol units to quicken emergency response times.

Enforcement data from the review period shows 538,398 offenders arrested for 587,607 violations, with operations concentrated on traffic light infractions, fake number plates, overloading, dangerous haulage of petroleum products, and mixing passengers with cargo.

While crashes fell by 10 per cent year-on-year, Mohammed acknowledged that fatalities rose by seven per cent over the same period, underscoring continued road safety challenges.

On vehicle administration, the FRSC cleared a substantial backlog, producing and dispatching 529,880 driver’s licences, manufacturing 740,073 number plates, and using the National Vehicle Identification Scheme portal to recover 72 stolen vehicles.

Internally, staff welfare has received renewed attention, with the establishment of a dedicated Health Management Office under the National Health Insurance Authority. The corps has also sponsored officers for postgraduate studies and specialised training in India, formalising a bilateral partnership for continuous professional development.

To strengthen its legal footing, the FRSC is proposing amendments to its Establishment Act that would allow for the creation of an armed squad to protect personnel and critical infrastructure, while improving retirement benefits for senior officers.

The ongoing reforms have not gone unnoticed; the FRSC recently clinched the 2024 Nigeria Gov-Tech Award for best federal MDA in digital management, placed first among military and paramilitary institutions in a national transparency ranking, and took home the 2025 Kofi Annan Road Safety Award for best road safety management in Africa.