LASTMA Urges Motorists to Obey Traffic Rules After Rescuing 670 Crash Victims
Kehinde Adeleye
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued 670 victims from road traffic crashes across the state in 9 months, highlighting the scale of road safety challenges facing motorists and other road users.
The agency also responded to 1,409 road traffic crashes during the period, according to a statement disclosed over the weekend.
LASTMA said the interventions formed part of its efforts to reduce casualties, improve emergency response and make Lagos roads safer.
Its operatives deployed to crash scenes help rescue victims, assess incidents, divert traffic and prevent secondary collisions while ensuring emergency responders can access affected locations.
The agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to strengthening emergency response, intensifying public enlightenment and promoting compliance with traffic regulations.
He said prompt reporting of road crashes and effective collaboration among emergency response agencies were essential to reducing casualties.
According to him, LASTMA personnel work with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other relevant agencies to provide assistance to crash victims.
Bakare-Oki urged motorists to observe speed limits, obey traffic signals, wear seat belts and ensure their vehicles were roadworthy.
He also cautioned against distracted driving and reckless manoeuvres, stressing that responsible driving remained crucial to preventing avoidable crashes.
The LASTMA boss called on commercial transport operators, dispatch riders, private motorists and pedestrians to comply with traffic regulations and promptly report crashes, road obstructions and other incidents requiring intervention.
He urged residents to use LASTMA’s toll-free short code, 3367, to report such incidents.
Bakare-Oki noted that road crashes often result in fatalities, serious injuries, economic losses and emotional trauma for victims and their families.
He called on all road users to exercise caution and take collective responsibility for safety, adding that LASTMA would sustain its rescue operations, collaboration with emergency agencies and public awareness campaigns.
