Mr Olu-Mike Olagunju, the FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun State, said yesterday that 300 auto crash deaths were recorded in 2009. Olagunju told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta that the fatalities recorded between January and December 2009 came from 739 road accidents. "The records of road traffic crashes have shown a reduction in fatalities recorded in Ogun State in 2009 when you compare it to fatalities recorded in 2008. "In 2008, Ogun State recorded of 373 fatal cases and serious cases of traffic crashes which amounted to 392, while minor cases amounted to 272," he said. He said the command fared well last year with regards to the mandate given to it by the Headquarter.

According to him, the mandate was to encourage better road culture, enlighten road users, improve traffic culture, carry out research and use the findings to advise the government on how the roads can be made safe. The commander attributed the reduction in death figures in 2009 to the logistic support received from the commission's headquarters in Abuja. "Two new mobile clinics were allocated to the command. These ambulances are well equipped with on-the-road treatment facilities where you can have transfusion, surgery and inoculation land injection in the vehicle.

"You can be treated for burns in the vehicle to a certain degree before referral to a major hospital for surgery. "The vehicles can double as ambulances, but they are mobile clinics and this has really helped us to reduce the rate of fatality," Olagunju added. (NAN)