NTSA still has work to do to make roads safe

Statistics provided by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) paint a gloomy picture of the situation on Kenyan roads.

They show that the number of motorcyclists who have died on the roads by the September 3, 2017 count has dropped compared to the same time last year. NTSA figures show that 320 cyclists have died so far compared to 355 who lost their lives by the same period in 2016; only a difference of 35 considering a single life lost is one too many.

On the other hand, the number of pillion passengers who have died has increased to 152 from 147 a year ago. Passenger deaths recorded by August 31, 2017 has dropped compared to the same period last year.

The latest NTSA report shows that 479 passengers died compared to 502 in 2016. The report further states that the cases of road crashes have gone down by 1,628 compared to last year when 9,236 were highlighted as at August 27, 2016. The drop here is significant but still way too high to claim any success in limiting the carnage.

To say the drop in accident cases demonstrates that NTSA is making headway in ensuring our roads are safe is a fallacy that needs to be debunked.

There is still a very long way to go before we can declare that NTSA is making headway in its endeavours. Something, even if we are in the midst of heightened political activity, has to be done to stop the carnage.

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