How poor eyesight is causing motorcycle accidents

 

Some of the motorcycle wrecks lying at the Naivasha police station after they were involved in accidents or nabbed for flouting traffic rules. The number of fatal motorcycle accidents along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway are on the rise due to careless driving.[FILE]

Poor vision and lack of training have been attributed to the rising number of road accidents involving motorcycle operators in the country.

The most affected are those working in rural areas, with data from NTSA indicating that the country has to date lost 3,586 people, with over 900 being operators since the year began.

This emerged during a road safety campaign in Naivasha organized by NTSA, Inchcape, Private bikers association, and Postbank, targeting tens of operators across the country.

According to Samuel Mbeche from Sight Aid International, poor eye vision on the road among motorcyclists continued to lead to fatalities around the country.

Mbeche, who led a free eye checkup for bodaboda riders in Naivasha, noted that poor eyesight was one of the major contributors to road accidents in the country.

“Many motorcycle operators don’t realize that they have underlying issues that affect their eyesight, leading to the high number of accidents in the country,” he said.

On her part, Maryanne Gathogo, the Managing Director for Inchcape, said that they had empowered over 200 operators with free safety gear to contain increased fatalities.

Gathogo noted that the initiative aims to reach more than 20 percent of all bodaboda riders, especially those Urban and rural users who lack adequate road safety training.

“One of the biggest challenges facing motorcycle operators in the country is a lack of or poor safety gear, mainly helmets, and this has come in handy in saving lives,” she said.

Lawrence Mbagala from Private Riders Association said despite the critical role the bodaboda sector played in the economy, lack of training and poor gears had contributed to more fatalities.

Mbagala implored the importance of education among the riders, urging careful driving ahead of festive seasons, while leading the charge for all the gear, all the time, among road users.

“We are advocating for safety on our roads and the use of helmets and gloves among the bodabodas even as we call on motorists to respect the motorcycle operators too,” he said.

On his part, Cyrus Mutisya, head of strategic relationships at Post Bank Kenya, called for financial literacy to spur investments among the bodaboda sector to empower their future.

Mutisya said the bank had tailor-made accounts for the bodaboda sector, noting that they have become a critical player in the economy of the country, contributing billions of shillings every year.