The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has faulted drivers for the increase in road accidents witnessed in the country.
Speaking during an interview with Spice FM on Friday, April 12, 2024, NTSA Safety Strategies Manager, Samuel Musumba attributed the increased accidents to bad behaviour by drivers.
Musuma underscored that the authority had observed the pattern of drivers repeating similar risky behaviour despite seeing the aftermath of other accidents reported.
“We see an upsurge of very risky behaviour coming up on our roads. Even when it’s raining like this, you would be wondering why would anyone be speeding when it’s raining like this.
“90 per cent of the incidences we have reported is due to bad behaviour on the road, case by case you realise that this person has done something as similar as the other one, we keep asking ourselves why are we not learning from this incidents,” Musumba said.
The NTSA official, however, highlighted that the road carnage can be attributed to other underlying problems such as unstable mental health.
He explained that the body observed that some experienced drivers caught up in the accidents were undergoing mental problems and were not seeking help.
Musumba further encouraged drivers to be upfront about what they are undergoing for the road agency to help resolve the issues and tame road carnage.
” What we are realising is that people are going through a lot of things. Mental health issues are now coming in as well. Stress-related issues are coming in. When you do something and then you cannot explain it, that means that your mind was not here,” he said.
“We are asking drivers to be honest enough and tell us the problems to help unpack then we look at the remedy to give,” he added.
Road carnage
Musumba’s remarks come amid the heightened crackdown on roads in efforts meant to tighten safety compliance given the alarming rates of deaths on roads.
According to statistics by NTSA, the number of road accidents reported in the country between January 1, 2024, and April 1, 2024, had risen compared to a similar period in 2023.
Since January, 7,198 Kenyans have been involved in road accidents, marking an increase of 1,908 compared to last year.
Among the 7,198 Kenyans, NTSA reveals that 1,189 died from road accidents, 3,316 were seriously injured and 2,693 suffered from minor injuries.
NTSA said the accidents are from January 1 to April 1, 2024.
