Latest data by the National Transport and Safety Authority shows that pedestrians account for the highest number of fatalities in road accidents this year.
Since January, 954 people have perished on Kenyan roads, an increase of 0.1 percent compared to the same period last year where 953 people succumbed.
Of the 954 casualties, 367 were pedestrians followed by motorcyclists at 238 deaths and 156 passengers. The report shows the number of passengers who have lost their lives on the road has gone down compared to the same period in 2019( 205 deaths).
Motorcyclists’ fatalities increased by 26 percent compared to 188 recorded last year.
Some 101 pillions have also died this year compared to 94 the same period last year whereas pedal cyclists’ casualties dropped from 21 deaths last year to 16 deaths by April 13, 2020.
According to NTSA, a total of 4,571 people have been affected in these accidents compared to 3,893 last year – an increase of 17.4 percent.
Out of the 4,571 road accident victims, 2,040 were left with serious injuries while 1,577 sustained slight injuries.
The Authority established that reckless driving remains the most common cause of accidents.
NTSA also noted that four out of every five crashes in the country can be attributed to human error and brake failure. This includes breaching speed limits and freewheeling in an attempt to save on fuel.
Other common causes of these accidents are distracted driving, drunk driving, rains, and running red lights.
Night driving, tailgating, wrong-way driving, potholes, design defects, improper turns, teenage driving, drugs, tyre blowouts and animal crossings are other causes.
