Stiff penalties against traffic offenders to reduce road carnage

By Nyandoro Kambi

Going by the recent road accidents in Mbooni and Olulunga, Kenyans can no longer bury their heads in the sand and assume the rot on the roads is normal.

The accidents sunk in the hearts of most Kenyans. Many accidents have been reported and we are likely to witness even more. What I find unique about the two accidents is that they set the ball rolling once again towards the search for a long-term solution. And for sure it did.

The morbidity of the scenario struck a jolt in the still waters of complacence and the top leadership had no option but to break silence and decry the carnage scare. Led by President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, the nation’s leadership called for an end to any acts that comprise road safety.

A range of solutions may be suggested so that losses can be minimised if not eliminated completely. The implementation of these measures must be quick to stop deterioration of public safety and damage to property whose overall effect is poverty. We have watched on many occasions, the demise of able people in road accidents. Families have been robbed of their breadwinners.

However, the most unfortunate thing is: We may feel justified in castigating one or so individuals as being responsible for accidents oblivious of the fact that it is due to faults by everyone of us at different junctures.

Perhaps, it may begin at the point unlicensed vehicle owner neglects his vehicle’s mechanical unsoundness. He then takes to a dilapidated road manned by corrupt traffic officers who only care about bribes.

To such traffic officers, breach of the law is a sure handy opportunity to mint cash from the vulnerable offenders. In any case, even if prosecuted, the penalties are not deterrent enough to curb the scourge. This is because injuries and deaths caused by reckless driving are hardly treated as murder for which reason many road users take such happenings lightly.

Pedestrians and cyclists are another blameworthy lot. On countless occasions, statistics reveal shocking details of how tens of people perish in road accidents because a driver was avoiding to hit a pedestrian or cyclist.

Those aboard the unroadworthy vehicles are imprudent risk takers. Most passengers are more concerned about timely arrival to their destination; not safety of the trip. As a result, it is of no concern to such people how recklessly the car is driven. To them, the immoral acts of the traffic police officers and the drivers are the order of the day.

In fact, some accidents are caused by passengers who urge the driver to move fast or board overloaded vehicles. What about the Government? Is it entirely blameless in the situation? The answer is a resounding no. My worry is the 2012 General Election. The more the political events generate heat, the more great matters of national interest are shoved to the sidelines.

A number of roads are presently being re-carpeted to improve the shape and spur development. Meaning, it is not the time for political leaders to ramble with hollow rhetoric. In spite of all these efforts, we cannot lose sight of the fact that at the foundations of any successful attempts to minimise road carnages lies the call for a coordinated approach.

First is the reintroduction of Michuki rules. We stand to benefit if only the former Transport minister John Michuki returns to that docket. We all recall how road accidents declined tremendously between 2004 and 2007 when he was in charge. The reintroduction of such rules will see only licensed vehicles and drivers use the road.

The writer is a lawyer and member of the Broadcasting Content Advisory Council