NTSA: Road accidents claimed 4,139 lives since January

This year, there were at least 4,139 fatal traffic accidents. Compared to the 4,517 fatalities that were reported the previous year, this is a decrease.

According to information provided by the National Transport and Safety Authority, between January 1 and December 20, 2022, 21, 684 people were injured in traffic accidents.

There were 4,139 fatalities, 10,201 badly injured, and 7,344 patients with minor injuries as a result of the crashes.

This is more than the same time last year, when there were 4,517 fatalities, 8,495 badly injured victims, and 6,841 people with minor injuries.

The data also reveals that, at 1,506 fatalities, pedestrians continue to be the group with the highest number of deaths—a decline from 1,620 fatalities in the previous year.

Motorcyclists came in second to pedestrians with 1,096 fatalities, down from 1,209 in 2022.

During the review period, at least 709 passengers lost their lives, which is fewer than the 800 that did so last year.

There were 374 deaths among pimps, compared to 422 over the same period in 2022.

In the year under review, there were 369 driver deaths, down from 408 in 2022.

Compared to 2022, when there were 58 pedal cycle deaths, there were 85 this year.

Towards 50 per cent reduction

The National Road Safety Action Plan (2023–2027) was launched by NTSA in October. Its goal is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in high-risk demonstration routes and urban areas by 50%.

In order to improve road safety in Kenya, Mohamed Daghar, Permanent Secretary in the State Department of Transport, underlined the pressing need for coordinated measures including both national and local administrations.

“We cannot be losing over 4000 people every year, and that is just part of it. Accidents cause permanent disabilities, we create widows and orphans,” Daghar said.

“We collapse an entire household because the breadwinner is lost. The net effect of this road safety challenge is beyond understanding,” he noted.

The World Health Organisation estimates that road traffic accidents cause over 1.35 million lives yearly, making road safety a crucial issue on a global scale.

Due to the toll, car accidents are the greatest cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 29. This places a heavy socioeconomic burden on countries all over the world.