Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Sunday announced significant strides in road safety enforcement across Lagos, revealing that its officers rescued at least 1,075 injured accident victims during coordinated emergency interventions throughout the 2025 operational year.
According to the agency, the rescues were carried out along major traffic corridors through rapid response mechanisms, inter-agency collaboration, and the strategic deployment of personnel to high-risk locations, ensuring victims received prompt medical attention.
Operational data released by LASTMA also showed that 5,581 private vehicles were impounded for various traffic violations, while 10,825 commercial vehicles were apprehended for offences including reckless driving, overloading, obstruction, mechanical faults, and disregard for traffic regulations.
In addition, 760 vehicles were seized for one-way violations, an offence the agency identified as a major contributor to severe crashes and fatalities on Lagos roads.
In a statement issued by LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, he quoted the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki as saying the figures reflect a deliberate transition toward proactive traffic governance driven by modern technology, intelligence-based enforcement, and sustained public awareness campaigns aimed at improving motorists’ behaviour.
He noted that traffic officers often operate under hazardous conditions to rescue crash victims, secure accident scenes, restore traffic flow, and coordinate with medical and emergency responders to prevent secondary incidents.
The agency explained that many of the rescued victims were involved in crashes linked to speeding, mechanical failure, driver fatigue, impaired driving, and dangerous manoeuvres such as driving against traffic.
LASTMA emphasised that vehicle impoundment remains a key component of its deterrence strategy to enforce compliance, remove unsafe vehicles from circulation, and reinforce adherence to traffic laws.
The Agency expressed particular concern over the persistence of one-way driving, describing it as a dangerous practice capable of causing head-on collisions with devastating consequences.
It said the apprehension of hundreds of offenders demonstrates its zero-tolerance approach to actions that endanger road users.
While pointing out the progress made, LASTMA stressed that enforcement alone cannot guarantee lasting road safety without cooperation from motorists, transport unions, fleet operators, and the public.
The agency said it would continue advocacy campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and sensitisation programmes to encourage voluntary compliance with traffic rules.
Comprehensive operational reviews conducted during the year, according to LASTMA, showed that rapid rescue interventions helped reduce injury severity, prevent fatalities, and restore traffic normalcy quickly after accidents.
The General Manager added that the agency’s strategy focuses on prevention, early risk detection, and immediate incident response, which he described as essential for managing mobility in a rapidly growing megacity.
LASTMA reaffirmed its commitment to sustained enforcement, expanded public enlightenment efforts, and innovative strategies to address emerging transportation challenges, assuring residents that its interventions would continue to improve safety outcomes across the state.