A Nairobi-based motorist on Thursday, March 23, stirred debate online after sharing his dashcam that captured a near-death experience along the Northern Bypass after he hit a newly erected pump.
In the video, the motorist, identified as Zollz, was driving back home before abruptly hitting the pump erected on the road rated as the most unsafe by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
Upon hitting the video, the webcam went dark, indicating something had gone missing.
However, when sharing the video, the motorist indicated that he was safe but lamented that the accident nearly turned tragic.
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"Did a 3 am drive to clear my mind last night and the new bumps on the Northern Bypass almost took me out," he stated.
After uploading the video on his Twitter account, Kenyans shared the video widely, with over 157,000 online users viewing the initial clip.
Debate among Kenyans centred on who was at fault, given that the video clearly showed a road sign warning motorists of the pump.
"This is the shortcoming of experienced drivers. After a certain number of years of driving or after a certain milestone, drivers drive mostly on auto-pilot, especially on routine routes. The authorities should mark bumps to be visible," Ian Githinji commented.
"The headlamp only covers a very short distance, which is not adequate for reaction time," Luke Ngiema commended.
Other Kenyans also shared their experienced, as many noted that road signs were insufficient to warn motorists.
"Same thing happened to me last week! The funny thing is I had seen them going down during the day but when returning home, I forgot about them, " Royan Dasilva added.
Northern Bypass was named the most unsafe road in the capital by NTSA on January 20.
The road agency stated that the bypass alongside Mombasa and Kagundo Roads registered 499 fatalities out of the 1104 lives lost in 2022.
