A total of 4,103 people have been killed in road accidents as at November 17, surpassing the 3,947 fatalities recorded last year, 2021.
National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), said 18,474 people were involved in road accidents that left 8,371 people seriously injured and another 6,000 people with slight injuries.
1,486 pedestrians, 1,085 pedal cyclists, 721 passengers, 378 drivers, 377 pillion passengers and 56 pedal cyclists were among the people killed.
In Nairobi, Thika Superhighway and Outering Road have been identified as where most lives have been lost.
The NTSA Board chairperson Agnes Odhiambo said vulnerable road users including bodaboda riders, pedestrians and school going children are paying the highest price.
“One life lost is one too many. Road safety is therefore a shared responsibility, and we must all play our parts,” she said.
She spoke on Sunday during the World Day of Remembrance for the Road traffic Crash Victims.
The UN General Assembly adopted every third Sunday of November annually as the world day for road traffic victims to purposely acknowledge victims of road traffic accidents and their families.
This year’s theme is ‘Remember, Support, Act’ which emphasizes on justice, traffic laws, enforcement, thorough investigation after a crash to find out if a crime was committed and to prevent recurrent, criminal prosecution where appropriate and civil compensation.
Odhiambo said NTSA will review of various legal instruments to address emerging issues in road safety management., saying the laws currently in place require alignment to best practices.
NTSA said the crashes are preventable if road users played their part and they are attributed them to speeding, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, drunk walking, drunk riding, failure to use seatbelts, and failure to use helmets by riders and pillion passengers.
NTSA is undertaking several interventions to reduce the crashed including finalizing on the development of the National Road Safety Action Plan to enhance coordination, management, and implementation of road safety priority plans and promoting the Usalama Barabarani campaigns and education programs.
Chief Justice Martha Koome has also directed that no court case should take more than three years on trial, and one year on appeal.
The CJ also called upon the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) to enhance its oversight over insurance companies to ensure they promptly pay decretal sums awarded to victims and families of victims of road accidents by courts.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county will work with the NTSA to introduce traffic calming measures among others near schools.
As a long-term measure, the governor said the county was looking at an integrated transport plan to deal with congestion, disorder, delays and crowding.
