TRACE Launches ‘Operation Safe Roads 2026’ To Tackle Ember Months Road Crashes In Ogun

OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) has unveiled Operation Safe Roads 2026, a comprehensive ember months traffic management and road safety campaign aimed at reducing road crashes, fatalities and traffic congestion across the state between September and December.

The initiative, themed “Safe Roads • Safe Drivers • Safe Vehicles • Safe Communities,” is designed to strengthen traffic law enforcement, improve emergency response and promote safer road use during the annual high-travel period.

With the slogan, “Think Safety First, Act Safely Always, Return Home Safely Every Day,” the operation will focus on major highways, urban centres, accident-prone locations and key transport corridors across Ogun State.

According to the operational guidelines signed by the Most Senior Commander in TRACE, Cmdr. Omonayajo Elias Adedayo, the campaign seeks to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities, ensure free flow of traffic, curb dangerous driving and improve public compliance with traffic regulations.

Other objectives include preventing illegal parking, roadside trading and traffic obstruction, providing rapid response to crashes and emergencies, protecting motorists and pedestrians, strengthening intelligence-led patrols, enhancing inter-agency collaboration and increasing public awareness on road safety.

TRACE said enforcement officers will pay special attention to excessive speeding, reckless driving, racing and other hazardous manoeuvres. The operation will also target unroadworthy vehicles, faulty tyres, defective braking systems, overloading, improperly secured cargo and other vehicle defects.

Drivers found driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, using mobile phones while driving, driving without valid documents, engaging in dangerous overtaking, driving against traffic, violating lane discipline or failing to wear seat belts will also face enforcement actions.

Traffic management efforts will equally focus on illegal parking, roadside obstruction, unlawful loading and off-loading, traffic signal violations, unauthorised use of road shoulders and dangerous U-turns.

Under the deployment strategy tagged “One Zone, One Area, One Command, One Operational Standard,” personnel will be stationed along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abeokuta metropolitan corridors, interstate routes, major entry and exit points, accident black spots, motor parks, markets, commercial centres, major intersections and religious or event centres.

The operation will be implemented in five phases. September will focus on intelligence gathering and public enlightenment, October on intensified enforcement, November on peak patrols and crash prevention, while December will witness maximum deployment for festive traffic management.

The final phase, from December 26 to 31, will concentrate on managing return traffic and post-festive evaluation.

TRACE also directed all commands to establish dedicated day and night patrol teams, rapid response and accident response units, traffic control teams, intelligence and public enlightenment units, as well as recovery and towing coordination teams. High-risk locations are expected to receive round-the-clock or extended-hour coverage where necessary.

The agency outlined a structured emergency response procedure requiring officers to detect, verify, respond, secure crash scenes, rescue victims, clear obstructions, restore traffic flow and document incidents while preventing secondary collisions.

As part of its public enlightenment campaign, TRACE will promote key safety messages, including; “Don’t Drink and Drive,” “Slow Down, Arrive Alive,” “No Phone While Driving,” “Buckle Up—Every Trip, Every Time,” “Don’t Overload,” and “Rest When Tired.”

To improve operational effectiveness, the agency will collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Ambulance and Emergency Service, Fire and Safety Services, Local Government Authorities, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Transport Unions, Tow Operators, Traditional Institutions and Media Organisations.

All operational commands have also been directed to submit daily situation reports detailing personnel deployment, locations covered, traffic conditions, crashes attended, violations recorded, emergency response times, fatalities, injuries and recommendations.

TRACE said the success of the operation will be measured through key performance indicators, including reductions in crashes, fatalities and serious injuries, improved emergency response times, enhanced traffic flow, increased seat belt compliance, wider patrol coverage, clearance of traffic obstructions and the effectiveness of public enlightenment campaigns.

The agency further urged officers to prioritise their own safety by wearing appropriate protective equipment and exercising extra caution during night operations, adverse weather conditions, crash scenes and patrols along high-speed corridors.

Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to professionalism, Cmdr. Omonayajo directed that the operation be conducted in a lawful, intelligence-led and service-oriented manner.

“Enforcement is not the end, Safety is the objective,” he stated.

He added that the guiding motto for the 2026 ember months operation remains:

“Rapid Response Saves Lives, Every Second Counts, Every Life Matters.”