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The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) announced that it rescued 1,075 crash victims and impounded 17,166 vehicles in 2025, tightening enforcement as road risks persist across Lagos. The agency says it combined rapid emergency response with stricter monitoring to reduce accidents and improve compliance.
What LASTMA Did in 2025
The LASTMA said its officers responded to crashes across key traffic corridors, secured accident scenes, helped victims get medical attention, and cleared blocked roads to prevent further incidents.
In the same period, the agency impounded 5,581 private vehicles and 10,825 commercial vehicles for offences such as reckless driving, overloading, obstruction, mechanical faults, and ignoring traffic rules. It also seized 760 vehicles for driving against traffic, bringing the total to 17,166, as earlier stated.
The agency linked many crashes to speeding, driver fatigue, mechanical failure, impaired driving, and one-way violations. Its general manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the agency now relies more on technology, intelligence-led enforcement, and public awareness campaigns. He added that removing unsafe vehicles from the road is part of a broader effort to improve safety.
The agency said enforcement alone is not enough. It called on motorists and transport unions, including fleet operators, to obey traffic laws and instructions from traffic officers and also maintain their vehicles properly.
The Bigger Road Safety Picture
Nigeria’s road safety problem has been a serious issue. The World Health Organization reported in 2023 that Nigeria records 21.4 road deaths per 100,000 people, the highest rate in Africa. National data shows 5,421 deaths in 2024, with fatalities rising further in 2025.
By comparison, the European Commission reports that the European Union recorded about 4.4 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2024. That difference shows how wide the safety gap is and how much improvement is possible with steady policy and enforcement.
There may, however, be reason for cautious optimism in Lagos. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) physically apprehended 22,927 vehicles for traffic offences in 2023, including 15,025 commercial vehicles. Figures that have dropped by over 5,000 since then.
The change in figures over time does not suggest a one-off operation. Instead, it shows ongoing fieldwork—officers stationed at busy junctions, routine patrols, crash response teams, and closer monitoring of commercial transport. This kind of steady manpower effort points to structured enforcement, not random clampdowns.
Lagos alone cannot fix national road safety challenges. Poor road conditions, weak vehicle inspections, and gaps in driver training still need attention. However, consistent enforcement and visible traffic management efforts show that work is being done. If these efforts continue alongside improvements in infrastructure and regulation, they could gradually lower crash risks across the state, then scale nationwide.
