National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has identified 273 black spots that continue to claim the lives of motorists and pedestrians in the Northern Corridor and Nairobi.
A report released by NTSA on Tuesday revealed that the number of black spots in the country has increased drastically from the 166 recorded in 2013.
It attributed the increase to convergence of dense population, inadequate non-motorised transport infrastructure, unsafe road user behaviour and encroachment of road reserves.
The report details the profile of each blackspot, seasons and vehicles involved in crashes, possible features that contribute to accidents in the area and gives recommendations.
It also captures the engineering and enforcement interventions needed for each of the black spots and notes the distance to the medical facilities where road crash victims are evacuated to after a crash.
Transport Principal Secretary Paul Maringa identified the main causes of road crashes as human error, poor condition of vehicles and road design.
“Fixing or improving single elements such as road design and signage may not completely reduce future crashes. Equal emphasis must be placed on vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists, people with disabilities and children as well as drivers and passengers of motor vehicles,” said Prof Maringa.
He said during the launch of the Northern Corridor and Nairobi County route hazard mapping report that the more than 3,000 fatalities recorded annually and several thousands of casualties have a serious effect on our society and economy.
NTSA chairman Jackson Waweru said the number of deaths from accidents had decreased from 2,965 deaths in 2016 to 2,919 in 2017, but acknowledged that the figure was still high and interventions needed to be put in place.
Some of the interventions already implemented by the authority, he said, include the enhancing of awareness about road use, introduction of a curriculum for training, testing and licensing of drivers, instructors and examiners.
“The authority has also rolled out issuance of smart driving license and the 3rd Identifier. Finally, there is an increased road safety management and coordination at the county level through [safety committees],” he said.
Mr Waweru said passengers were the major victims of road crashes in the corridor.
SOURCE: nation.co.ke
