LASTMA rescues 1,075 crash victims

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says no fewer than 1,075 injured accident victims were rescued by its officers during coordinated emergency interventions in 2025.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, signed by Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr. Taofiq Adebayo.

Bakare-Oki noted that this was a remarkable progress in its sustained crusade to fortify road safety standards and decisively curb traffic crashes across Lagos State.

He added that these rescue operations were executed across critical traffic corridors through rapid incident response frameworks, robust inter-agency synergy and the strategic deployment of personnel to high-risk flashpoints,.

“Operational statistics further indicate that LASTMA’s intensified enforcement drive culminated in the impoundment of 5,581 private vehicles for diverse traffic infractions. 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. In addition, the authority apprehended 760 vehicles for one-way violations, an infraction consistently identified as a major precipitating factor in catastrophic collisions and avoidable fatalities on Lagos roadways,” he said.

The general manager observed that these figures reflects a deliberate transition toward proactive traffic governance anchored on the deployment of modern technology, intelligence-driven enforcement and sustained public enlightenment.

He emphasised that LASTMA personnel remained at the vanguard of emergency response operations.

According to him, they frequently expose themselves to operational hazards in order to rescue injured victims, secure crash scenes, restore traffic fluidity and coordinate seamlessly with medical and rescue agencies to avert secondary incidents.

“A significant proportion of the rescued victims were involved in crashes precipitated by excessive speed, mechanical failure, fatigue, impaired driving and hazardous maneuvers such as driving against traffic behaviours. The impoundment of offending vehicles constitutes a central component of a broader deterrence architecture designed to compel compliance, withdraw unsafe vehicles from circulation and reinforce the inviolability of traffic laws as indispensable safeguards for lives and property,” he said.

He noted that particular concern was the recurrence of one-way violations, describing same as a practice capable of triggering head-on collisions with devastating consequences.

He said that the apprehension of 860 offenders underscored the agency’s uncompromising stance against actions that puts other road users at risk

“Enforcement alone cannot deliver enduring safety outcomes without the active cooperation of motorists, transport unions, fleet operators and the wider public. Consequently, LASTMA continues to amplify advocacy initiatives, stakeholder engagement platforms and targeted sensitisation campaigns aimed at promoting voluntary compliance,” he said.

He noted that comprehensive operational reviews conducted throughout the year, indicated that rapid rescue interventions by LASTMA played a pivotal role in mitigating injury severity, preventing fatalities and facilitating swift restoration of traffic normalcy.

While acknowledging the progress recorded, he maintained that road safety remained a collective obligation,.

He, consequently, urged motorists to adhere to speed limits, maintain vehicle roadworthiness, desist from one-way driving and respect lawful directives issued by traffic officers.