This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
Kenya: Road Carnage Claims More Lives in 2019 ¶
As of October 1, 2019, road accidents in Kenya had claimed 2,672 lives, surpassing the 2,286 fatalities recorded in the same period in 2018, according to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
NTSA Director-General Francis Meja attributed the increase in road accidents to private vehicles, which have become the leading cause of crashes in the country.
"Two or three years ago, the public service vehicles were the second highest contributor of road accidents after private motorists," Meja said in Nairobi. "However, thanks to some of the interventions we have done, we have seen a shift where the PSV are now in position four."
According to NTSA statistics, accidents caused by private vehicles have increased from 579 last year to 702 this year. Similarly, the number of accidents involving commercial vehicles increased from 564 to 597, while those caused by motor cycles have increased from 364 to 542.
Meja expressed concern over the rising number of accidents involving boda bodas, which have increased by 30 percent in the last one month.
"The number of people we are losing on our roads is unacceptably high and it requires a lot of intervention from all stakeholders," Meja said. "One of the biggest challenges that we have is human behaviour and our future interventions will zero in on the drivers."
Meja emphasized the need for drivers to stop distraction and recklessness on the road, saying that if drivers are more careful, they can avoid all these accidents.
He also noted that the body construction of public service and commercial vehicles is a concern, as it may not be ideal in the event of an accident.
Published on October 7, 2019, at 13:25:49.
