Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revealed that pedestrians are likelier to lose their lives in accidents in Kenya.
In data highlighted by the NTSA and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), 2,165 pedestrians were killed in road accidents between January 2023 and April 2024.
This number was higher than that recorded for drivers (516) and passengers (1,069) within the same period.
Accidents in Numbers
- 1,854 - Number of pedestrians who were who were seriously injured in 2023.
- 1,591 - Number of pedestrians who were killed in accidents in 2023.
- 574 - Number of pedestrians who were killed in accidents between January and April 2024.
- 443 - Number of pedestrians who were slightly injured in 2023.
- 89 - Number of pedestrians who died in Nairobi road accidents between January and April 2024.
"The number of reported pedal cyclists killed or injured rose from 159 in 2022 to 203 in 2023. The number of motor vehicle passengers, pillion passengers and pedestrians killed or injured rose by 8.3 per cent to 9,927; 6.9 per cent to 2,652; and 3.7 per cent to 3,888, respectively, in 2023," read the Economic Survey Report 2024.
What Are the Leading Causes
According to NTSA's data, the causes of fatal accidents were credited to the mechanical failure of vehicles and actions by motorists and pedestrians.
For instance, in its report covering the first quarter of 2024, NTSA noted that most crashes occurred after drivers lost control of their vehicles.
This was followed by motorists' failure to observe proper traffic lanes. Overtaking improperly was also listed as the major cause of accidents.
Regarding pedestrians, some of the causes highlighted were stepping, walking or running off the footpath or verge into the road.
Walking or standing on the road was also listed among the major causes of accidents involving pedestrians. NTSA also highlighted boarding or alighting from vehicles without due care and crossing without due care at road junctions.
NTSA Plan
One of the major strategies NTSA is seeking to employ between 2024 and 2028 is the instalment and improvement of various road infrastructure.
"The key actions include improving the safe classification, design, and use of the road network, scale-up safety engineering measures in designated high-risk demonstration corridors and urban areas with an emphasis on setting safe speed limits and providing enhanced protective features for all users," NTSA strategic plan read in part.
Additionally, the NTSA is considering reducing speed limits for vehicles in areas where there is high traffic of pedestrians.
"A comprehensive speed limit-setting reform project will be initiated, including 30 km/h where there is potential for collisions with pedestrians and cyclists, such as villages, school zones or commercial areas," NTSA's report stated.
