OPINION: How we can reduce road carnage in Kenya

Most road users have one common weakness - deflecting the blame to other road users. And we are more subjective than objective in our analysis of road carnage. For instance, when a traffic police officer is asked to offer reasons for increased road carnage, he will attribute it to carelessness or speeding.

On the other hand, a matatu driver would point fingers at careless motorbike riders and pedestrians. When a boda boda rider gets knocked from behind by a motorist at night, there is a casual agreement - using the traffic rules as our compass - that the driver is culpable. But the rider cannot be declared an innocent victim as most people would assume.

He might have contributed to the accident either by not wearing a reflector jacket or changing lanes without indicating. The road contractor also shares the blame for the high number of lives lost on Kenyan roads by, for example, overlooking some road safety enhancement measures such as: speed bumps and rumble strips to tame the speeding culture among drivers.

A paradigm shift that involves accepting responsibility and working towards remedial measures is essential among all players. It is worth noting that accepting liability is part of any healing process. In this regard, after an accident, inspection authorities should do comprehensive work and strive to get all the offending parties legally and morally responsible - including the road contractor.

Let all entities carry their legal and moral crosses.