Skip to main content

Kenya’s high crash risk

Data from Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) shows that there is a particular risk of serious crashes on the capital’s bypasses. In the 11 month period from January-November, 1/7th of Nairobi’s road fatalities were on the three new bypass routes. There were 50 fatalities in 2014 on the three bypasses and for the January to November 2015 period, there have been 133 deaths. Pedestrians are at most risk, accounting for 60% of fatalities, with motorcyclists and car drivers accounting for 7%
December 14, 2015 Read time: 1 min
Data from Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) shows that there is a particular risk of serious crashes on the capital’s bypasses. In the 11 month period from January-November, 1/7th of Nairobi’s road fatalities were on the three new bypass routes. There were 50 fatalities in 2014 on the three bypasses and for the January to November 2015 period, there have been 133 deaths. Pedestrians are at most risk, accounting for 60% of fatalities, with motorcyclists and car drivers accounting for 7% of fatalities apiece.

A report by the country’s Nation Newsplex suggests that lack of facilities for pedestrians and insufficient crossing points may be a cause of many of the crashes. The report also points out that those pedestrian bridges and crossings that have been built are not commonly used. Other major causes of crashes are from dangerous overtaking and vehicles speeding.

Related Content

  • The hanging Honda
    August 10, 2018
    Police in Toronto are still mystified as to how and why a stripped-out Honda was left dangling from a busy bridge. At first it was thought the car had been placed there as part of a movie shoot, but it was quickly realised that this was not the case and no request had been filed to carry out such a stunt. The car was stripped of any identification as well as many mechanical components, reducing its weight sufficiently for it to be suspended from a single cable. After a period left hanging, the vehicle was l
  • Reducing crashes with speed enforcement
    September 14, 2017
    Research from Spain suggests that tougher enforcement of vehicle speed can help cut crashes and road casualties. This follows the analysis of data collated by Spain’s Civil Guard between 2006 and 2015. The study is titled 'The contribution to road safety of the supervision of compliance with traffic regulations', and was recently published jointly by the Mapfre Foundation and in which the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard (ATGC) and the Sevilla University. According to the study, tougher enforcement in the p
  • French road deaths cause for concern
    August 29, 2017
    France has achieved major results in reducing road deaths in the last 10 years but now appears to have hit a barrier with regard to better road safety. The figures for road deaths in July 2017 were better than for 2016. There were 346 fatalities in July 2017 compared with 356 road deaths in July 2016. However there were 5,121 crashes in July 2017, an increase of 41 from July 2016. At the same time there were 7,204 injuries in July 2017, an increase of 226 from July 2016, although serious injuries requiring
  • Concerns have been expressed in Austria by a highway firm over proposals to allow larger trucks
    March 22, 2012
    Concern has been expressed in Austria over the potential costs of upgrading the country’s road network to cope with 60tonne trucks measuring up to 25.5m long. The introduction of these massive ‘gigaliners’ has been proposed across the EC. But Austrian highway operator Asfinag has said that upgrading the country’s roads, highways, bridges and tunnels to make them suitable for gigaliners would cost some €5.4 billion. Asfinag has also expressed its concern over the safety issues surrounding these vehicles due