The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued a travel advisory to Kenyans planning to travel during the Easter holidays.
In a statement seen by Kenyans.co.ke, NTSA raised concerns on the number of road fatalities witnessed between January and April this year, attributing the numbers to human-related behaviour.
NTSA, in the advisory dated Wednesday, April 13, flagged six risky habits by drivers, passengers and pedestrians that contribute to fatalities, dubbing them the Fatal Six.
"The Easter season is one of the busiest periods, there is increased travel across the country and all efforts are aimed at ensuring all road users reach their destinations safely.
"NTSA has flagged speeding, lane indiscipline, drunk driving, distracted driving (using mobile phones while on the road), failure to wear a helmet and failure to use available pedestrian walkways as the Fatal Six," read the advisory in part.
Speeding continues to become an issue on Kenyan roads with drivers blatantly disregarding speed limits. Drivers go as far as installing speed governor detectors to evade being caught by traffic officers while PSVs tamper with governors to allow them exceed the set limits.
Drivers flaunting lane guidelines, including those overlapping and illegally overtaking on climbing lanes and on continuous yellow lines, are also susceptible to road carnage.
The road safety body adds that a cropping habit by pedestrians not crossing at designated spots such as zebra crossing and footbridges puts their lives at risk. The ignorance of pillion passengers who refuse to wear helmets may reduce their chances of survival in case of an accident.
Consequently, NTSA asked road users to comply with traffic rules, further calling upon the law enforcement agencies to ensure they are adhered to strictly. Motorists have also been advised to plan their travels in advance to avoid a last-minute rush.
To promote safe travel during the holiday period, NTSA will partner with all government ministries, departments and agencies to run a campaign to educate road users and sensitize the importance of road courtesy.
Road carnage in the country has claimed 1,345 lives since January, a 15.2 per cent increment from the same period last year. Pedestrian fatalities stood at 457, up from 374 in 2021.
Driver deaths dropped by 10 per cent from 142 to 127 according to NTSAs findings. In addition, 225 passengers, 137 pillion passengers, 381 motorcyclists and 18 pedal cyclists have also died.
Apart from the six, corruption in agencies tasked with ensuring road safety has also contributed to road carnages. An expose done by BBC World Africa revealed that there were several unqualified drivers and unroadworthy vehicles were on the road.
The findings of the investigative piece revealed how instructors in driving schools colluded to process licenses for drivers without them having to undergo the test. In addition, beaten down vehicles passed inspection at a fee.
NTSA with the help of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched a probe into the matter, targeting driving schools and inspection officials.
