The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has reported that at least 1,075 injured persons were rescued from road accidents across Lagos State through emergency operations conducted in 2025.
LASTMA said the number indicates steady progress in its efforts to enhance road safety and minimize road accidents on Lagos roads.
LASTMA said the rescue operations were made possible by enhanced enforcement, rapid emergency response, and harmonious collaboration with other relevant agencies.
LASTMA officers were also deployed in areas prone to road accidents to ensure that victims received timely assistance.
According to LASTMA, the rescue operations were conducted along major traffic routes using rapid response strategies, collaborative efforts with other partner agencies, and strategic deployment of personnel to high-risk areas. This, it said, helped to save lives and mitigate the effects of road accidents.
LASTMA also said that its enforcement efforts resulted in the arrest of 5,581 private vehicles for traffic offenses. In addition, 10,825 commercial vehicles were arrested for traffic offenses such as reckless driving, overloading, road obstruction, mechanical defects, and disobedience to traffic rules.
LASTMA also said that 760 vehicles were arrested for driving against traffic, also known as one-way driving.
LASTMA said that this traffic offense is one of the major causes of serious road accidents and avoidable deaths on Lagos roads.
Commenting on the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said that the outcome indicates a clear shift towards improved traffic management through technology, intelligence-driven enforcement, and continuous public education.
“These statistics represent a conscious shift in proactive traffic management, with modern technology and intelligence-led enforcement complemented by continuous public education aimed at resetting the driving culture of motorists and ingraining a sense of civic duty among road users,” he said.
Bakare-Oki said LASTMA officials are usually the first responders to accident sites, where they put their lives on the line to rescue injured victims, cordon off accident sites, direct traffic flow, and collaborate with medical and emergency response teams to avert secondary accidents.
He said many of the rescued road users were involved in accidents resulting from speeding, vehicle breakdown, driver fatigue, drunken driving, and reckless driving, including driving against traffic. These practices, he said, continue to pose a danger to road users.
The General Manager said impounding vehicles is part of a comprehensive strategy by LASTMA to discourage traffic offenders, remove dangerous vehicles from the roads, and enforce traffic regulations aimed at safeguarding life and property.
He said enforcing traffic regulations alone would not guarantee road safety without the cooperation of motorists, transport unions, fleet operators, and the general public. He said LASTMA has continued to develop public education campaigns, engage with stakeholders, and conduct targeted interventions to encourage drivers to observe traffic regulations voluntarily.
Bakare-Oki said that reviews conducted during the year indicated that LASTMA’s rapid response to accidents had contributed to minimizing the severity of injuries, averting deaths, and restoring traffic flow.
“The Authority’s strategic framework emphasizes prevention, early warning of risk factors, and immediate response to incidents—a strategy that is critical to managing mobility in the dynamic environment of a rapidly growing megacity,” Bakare-Oki said.
He further stated that the operations of LASTMA have become more technology-based, intelligence-driven, trained personnel, and enhanced partnership with emergency agencies to enhance performance.
Although appreciating the progress made, the Authority reminded road users that safety is a collective responsibility. The Authority encouraged road users to observe speed limits, ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, avoid one-way traffic, and adhere to lawful directives from traffic officers.
LASTMA reiterated its commitment to sustained enforcement, enhanced public education, and the adoption of modern approaches to address transportation issues in Lagos State.