Drivers of Subaru vehicles, who are infamous for their love for speed, have been put on the spotlight by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) following a spike in the number of accidents and deaths being reported on Kenyan roads.
NTSA Director General George Njao, who was speaking during the launch of the National Safe Roads Programme in Upper Hill on Wednesday, noted that the number of fatalities in the country had increased and that the youth, fresh graduates, with their new cars were the most affected.
“What is the first thing a student does with his first salary, they buy a car. If you look at the number of fatalities, it’s in the youth category and new cars, the subarus. These fast cars our young people are driving are creating a problem for us,” Mr Njao said.
Following the observation, the authority decided to work with universities as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centers to reduce such accidents.
“We have got the youth community. We would like to work with the TVET and the universities. Those who are graduating from the university, what is the first thing a student does with his second salary?
According to an NTSA report, 2,689 persons lost their lives between January 1- September 30, 2020, a spike compared to the same period last year when 2,655 lives were lost. This is an increase of 1.3%, with the majority being the youth.
Further 6,651 people sustained serious injuries due to road accidents in 2019. A report attributed the accidents to speeding, drunk-driving, fatigue, wrong use of roads by pedestrians, poor road infrastructure and non-observance of traffic laws.
NTSA boss singles out Subaru boys pic.twitter.com/tprOoV3tey
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) October 28, 2020
SOURCE: https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/featured/subaru-boys-fingered-by-ntsa-in-road-accident-spike-video
