NTSA calls for pedestrian awareness to cut fatalities

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The deceased was a juvenile.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), pedestrians still account for the largest percentage of fatalities and injuries as a result of road accidents.

The authority says in a year to September 15, 2024, the country has lost a total of 1,222 compared to 1,076 recorded in the same period last year, a 14pc increase. This increase has been attributed to human behaviour according to NTSA Road Safety Director Dr Andrew Kiplagat.

“Among the many cause of risk factors, the biggest cause is behaviour. Human behaviour factors on their own are actually responsible for 57pc, the interaction between the human factors and roads adds another 26pc and if you bring the aspect of vehicles, it adds another 6pc. In total, the contribution of human behaviour is about 93pc,” he said.

During an interview with KBC Channel1, Dr Kiplagat said in order to cut the number of fatalities and injuries, pedestrians need to ensure their safety whenever using the roads.

“The first responsibility of a pedestrian is ensure that whenever you are using the road, use it in a manner that promote safety. Pedestrians should ensure when they walk or interact with other motorists, they are safe due to the fact that road is shared,” he stated.

Additionally, pedestrians need to ensure that they are visible by to other road users such as drivers whenever they are using the roads as luck of visibility heightens the risk of danger.

Other safety measures pedestrians should observe include use of designated areas like zebra crossing and footbridges to ensure safe crossing.

This comes as the authority works to achieve target of cutting road fatalities and injuries by at least half.

“Based on the recent happenings on our roads, the road crashes that we have seen and based on the national targets, and the national target is that we need to bring down fatalities and injuries associated with road traffic accidents by at least 50pc, we are not doing well until we realize those targets,” Dr Kiplagat added.

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