Analysis of Causes & Response Strategies of Road Traffic Accidents in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya has recently been experiencing an alarming road carnage involving deaths of many innocent people and this necessitated this study. The data for the study was gathered primarily through secondary sources. These sources included Kenya Road Safety, Police reports, Newspapers, internet, books, World Bank reports and other relevant sources. Practical experience and direct, observation of the roads was also provide some reasonable information. A visit will be made to some commercial motor garages in Nairobi to interact with daily users of the roads. Analysis will be conducted using descriptive statistics that will include mean values, standard deviations and frequencies among others. There are many factors contributing to increase in road traffic accident which include human (corruption,, errors of omission and commission etc), physical including (inferior materials, soil texture) and systemic factors. The conclusion is that the situation is so complex that various strategies or approaches are needed and to tackle it which may include enlighten campaign, change of attitude on the part of officials especially the police and appropriate intervention approach in order to bring the carriage to a halt or reduce it to the barest minimum. Given the importance of road transport in the social, economic and political life of Kenya as a nation, it is hardly surprising that the government has taken several policy measures in order to address the problem of road crashes. These measures have resulted from the realization that a functioning low cost road transport service supported by a good road infrastructure, as well as informed and disciplined road users, is crucial for economic development and poverty alleviation. It is largely because of this that Kenya's Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation for 2012-2017 regards transport as the third pillar of the country's economic recovery efforts.