World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims Marked by NTSA

Thika – The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) observed the World Day of Remembrance for road crash victims with a march in Thika. Participants, including NTSA and other stakeholders, walked from the NTSA office to MKU Pavilion in Thika to honor those who have lost their lives or sustained injuries due to road accidents. The United Nations globally endorsed the third Sunday of November as the day to remember victims of road traffic injuries and their families back in 2005.

According to Kenya News Agency, approximately 4,000 Kenyans lose their lives annually in road crashes, with speeding identified as the leading cause of these deaths and injuries. Road safety experts are striving to reduce road crashes by fifty percent by the year 2030. Samuel Musumba, NTSA programmes director, emphasized the importance of observing speed limits, noting that human error is responsible for ninety percent of road accidents, while mechanical errors contribute to less than ten percent.

Musumba highlighted NTSA’s efforts to promote road safety, including collaboration with the County Government of Kiambu on transport systems aimed at separating pedestrians from vehicles. Initiatives include constructing pedestrian walkways and flyovers, independent from roads, and plans to install CCTV cameras on major roads for surveillance. The goal is to ensure road safety for all, including pedestrians, bicycle and motorcycle riders, especially during the rainy season.

Kenneth Mwangi, a road crash survivor who attended the event, shared his experience of being hit by a speeding driver earlier in the year, resulting in his confinement to a wheelchair. Mwangi’s story illustrates the devastating impact of road accidents and serves as a caution to motorists to adhere to speed limits.

The 2023 Kenya Demographic Health Survey revealed that in 2022, there were 4,690 fatalities and 21,757 road accident casualties in Kenya, marking a five percent increase from 2021. Despite a slight decrease in the number of people critically injured in 2022 compared to 2021, the figures underscore the ongoing challenge of road safety in the country.