• Speeding, according to police, has been the main cause of the crashes.
• According to NTSA said most of the accidents are preventable.
Road crashes are on a sharp increase as 788 pedestrians have died since January as compared to 651 last year.
This is according to statistics released by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) from January 1, to June 20, 2022.
“Pedestrian related traffic fatalities have increased by 21 per cent to 788 this year compared to those who died as a result of road crashes last year. This makes them the most vulnerable group of road users in the country,” reads the statistics.
About 2,211 have died on Kenyan roads since January this year, compared to 1,988 who died around the same time in 2021.
After pedestrians, some 608 motorcyclists died in the same period this year as compared to 569 in 2021, while 362 passengers died in the past six months as compared to the 326 in 2021.
The number of drivers who have died from accidents remained constant at 210.
Pillion passengers who have died have increased to 211 compared to the 182 who died in 2021.
32 pedal cyclists died in the period as compared to 50 who perished last year.
Speeding, according to police, has been the main cause of the crashes.
Reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, drunk walking, drunk riding, and failure to use helmets among other issues have also been attributed to the increase in crashes.
NTSA said most of the accidents are preventable.
The Authority’s director general George Njau had earlier said they plan to unveil an Integrated Transport Management System to curb road accidents.
The new applications will involve having modern speed limit checkers and authenticating valid road users’ documents, among others.
Njau said they have commissioned the National Enterprise Centre that will better the processing of key documents such as driving licenses by approximately 300 per cent.
NTSA said it had strengthened collaboration with law enforcers for harmonious execution of its mandate while at the same time providing access to vehicle records and licensing data to support security agencies.
It has also developed a comprehensive, highly publicised road safety awareness campaigns and programmes among pedestrians, boda boda riders, drivers of public service vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles aimed at behaviour change.
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