The number of Kenyans who died as a result of road accidents increased by 10.8 percent from 3,586 in 2019 to 3,975 in 2020 according to the stats released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in conjunction with NTSA.
The increase in the number of road accidents was realized despite the restrictions in movement that had been put in place by the Government of Kenya to cut down on the spread of Covid-19. The people who died were more than those dead from Covid-19.
At the same time, the number of persons that were seriously injured increased by 15.5 percent to 8,026 while the number of persons that were slightly injured dropped by 4.6 percent to 4,969 in the review period.
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During the same period, the number of accidents on Kenyan roads rose 24.2 percent to 8,919 in 2020. Most of the accidents that occurred have been attributed to reckless driving and the poor state of Kenyan roads.
Drivers involved in road accidents increased by 20.0 percent to 1,753 while those seriously injured increased by 26.6 percent to 824 in 2020. At the same time, pedestrian casualties increased by 8.0 percent from 2,950 in 2019 to 3,186 in 2020.
Motorbikes are leading in accidents. During the period, motorcyclists and pillion passenger casualties increased by 48.2 percent to 2,332 in 2020.
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Road accidents have dire consequences on the economy of a country. Whenever accidents occur, the country loses part of its labor force and almost every economic sector is affected. The government has always done little to end this menace.
Many breadwinners have lost their lives and left those who rely on them for livelihood with nowhere to turn to. Accidents often come unannounced. People, therefore, die without even their families knowing how much they were worth off, their bank details, and even the properties they owned without their families’ knowledge.