Safe Travels Await: Embrace Global Road Safety Week

The United Nations (UN), in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), has been campaigning for road safety during the Global Road Safety Week, which began on May 12, 2025, and will end on May 18, 2025.

According to the UN, road accidents are a major cause of death and disability with more than 1.2 million people dying as a result of this annually.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said, “Everyone should reach their destination safely. But more than 1/4 of all road traffic deaths are pedestrians and cyclists. And fatalities have risen rapidly in some regions.”

In 2024, Kenya recorded a total of 24245 incidents of road accidents, with 4748 being killed, 11937 severely injured, and 7560 slightly injured.

Poorly maintained roads are a factor that is unspoken of. This causes a challenge, especially during the rainy seasons that make some roads, including major highways, impassable.

The National Government is making initiatives in building new roads and maintaining the roads that are in poor condition, but the progress is slow, and it might not be a quick solution to boost road safety.

Other initiatives should be put in place to stop reckless driving. The reintroduction of the Alco blow will help in apprehending drunk drivers, mostly during the night.

The road curfew that was put in place during the Uhuru regime also helped to reduce road accidents significantly and should be put in place.

Heavy fines should be imposed on reckless drivers, mostly in the public transport system, where matatu drivers drive carelessly, endangering the passengers. Overloading matatus should also be discouraged as it puts both passengers and the driver at risk of being involved in accidents.