Enforce road traffic laws to end crashes
By Editorial.Team, July 28, 2022The death of 35 persons in the Nithi bridge crash involving a Modern Coast bus is not just tragic, it signposts what has become a regular feature of deaths on Kenyan roads that would have otherwise been prevented.
Over the past month, road crashes have claimed more than 15 lives across the country. Statistics from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and traffic police department indicate that at least 718 have died in crashes on Kenyan roads since January, a 28 per cent increase compared to the 551 reported last year.
It is saddening that the Nithi bridge black spot has claimed the lives of 164 people in the last 27 years. That means a Kenyan meets an untimely death every two months, leaving behind loved ones, families without bread winners, not to mention losing young lives that had hopes for the future.
The cost to the country and the community is immeasurable. Worryingly, road crashes remain a real scourge in the country and the number of deaths is unacceptably high, highlighting the need for policy makers, law enforcers and other stakeholders to do something to reduce the carnage. What has become the norm, however, is that each time an accident occurs, authorities come up with knee-jerk responses, implementing quick but temporary measures. Unfortunately, in almost all cases, once the accident is erased from the public’s memory, everything returns to normal as officials wait for another tragedy before moving into action. This needs to change.
A day after the Nithi bridge tragedy, NTSA announced the suspension of operations of Modern Coast bus until further notice. But that suspension is unlikely to be followed by any other action other than quietly revoking it once the masses forget about the crash.Globally, road accidents cost developing countries, Kenya included, between one and two per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as high mortality rates from road crashes take away skilled manpower that cost a pretty tax penny to train.
Previous studies have blamed road crashes on speeding, drink-driving, non-compliance with or absence of safety provisions, use of mobile phones, poor infrastructure, failure to obey the highway code and poorly maintained vehicles. That is why we urge the government to urgently address road safety in a holistic manner, from law enforcement to inspection of vehicles. Greater attention to all aspects of public health and safety is also required to make roads safer.