ADDRESSING ROAD CARNAGE IS A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

Kenya can now boast to be the region’s king in terms of road development. This is largely thanks to the ultra- modern Nairobi- Thika superhighway that has become the envy of the region. Indeed all over the country, the Kibaki era will be fondly remembered for the unprecedented development in the country’s infrastructure. New roads have been constructed and old ones rehabilitated. This has greatly eased movement across the country. But what a minute! On the flip-side, these developments have come at an agonizing price, one that has left tears on many a Kenyan’s cheek; road carnage seems to be happily unleashing its fury on Kenyans. The road carnage statistics paint a grimy picture that’s equally chilling.

The recently released records on the bloodbath on our roads are chilling. A chilling case in point is the Thika superhighway. Its construction has caused anguish to scores of families who have either lost their loved ones or had them paralyzed after been involved in grisly road accidents along the highway. The traffic police have estimated that since January 1, more than 70 people have died on the highway while scores have been maimed. Statistics about the bloodbath on the other roads across the country are equally chilling. Many have been killed and others maimed, with some having their lives completely overturned, albeit for the worse. The numbers are on the increase, with every passing day. Children have been orphaned and families lost their bread-winners. These grimy statistics call for the urgent involvement of every road user in the country; drivers and their crew, passengers, pedestrians and the police. This is a collective responsibility.

A major cause of this bloodbath has been reckless driving. It’s a common thing to see inebriated drivers, high on all manner of intoxicants, from drugs to alcohol, on the wheel of public transport vehicles. These drivers speed and blindly overtake. Some even those in private cars talk on their mobile phones as they drive.  Unruly crews, who pick and drop passengers at non-designated places, are all over the public transport vehicles. The only thing that stops them from doing this is the presence of the traffic cops. Our roads have become chaotic, the absence of cops at different sections, has made it a free for all, whereby the rude outgun the polite. This is the perfect recipe for accidents to proliferate on our roads.

Inside these buses and matatus are quiet passengers, a majority of whom watch as these drivers take them to their untimely deaths. It’s puzzling how these passengers watch as drivers flout all rules and turn these roads into killing dens. You will only see the very people protest after an accident, not bearing in mind that they were in a position to avert these disasters. These have happened on countless occasions, thus begging the question; when will Kenyans learn?

Pedestrians have also contributed to this carnage on our roads. Whoever said that old habits die hard, must have had this group in mind? They use unorthodox means to dangerously cross the roads; oblivious of the danger they are exposing themselves to. Flyovers have been constructed, mainly along the Thika superhighway. It is interesting to note that a majority of Kenyans are not keen on making good use of these. They cross the roads, oblivious of the speeding cars. Does this mean that Kenyans must be forced to use these flyovers? Kenyans must learn to use these, instead of shedding tears and lamenting whenever disasters on the roads rear their ugly heads. By using these, we will greatly help reduce the bloodshed on our roads.

The traffic police are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that traffic rules are observed to the latter. It is their duty to nab the reckless motorists wrecking havoc on our roads. But their main undoing has been the engagement of some in corruption on our roads. They let un-roadworthy vehicles run free on our roads, condone overloading by public service vehicles by accepting cash in return. Some have been turned into see no evil, hear no evil cops. Motorists break rules almost at will, albeit by parting with some cash. It’s sad to note that this is the case of a willing giver and a willing receiver. Motorists caught on the wrong side of the law should desist from these short-cuts to freedom, which turn into short-cuts to death when these vehicles are later involved in grisly accidents, These leave the innocent, rule -abiding motorist and pedestrians alike, with no-one to turn to. When those charged with the responsibility of restoring law and order on our roads, fail to do that, our turn chaotic and become sources of anguish and misery.

All these people have a part to play in fighting carnage on our roads. If everyone plays the part that he is rightly supposed to, then our roads will become safer and save us all these anguish and trauma. Efforts by the Kenya National Highways Authority to carry out road safety sensitization exercises and civic education are timely.  However, the greater responsibility lies with the Kenyans themselves. We should learn to take care of our lives instead of foolishly waiting for someone to do it. At the end of the day, it’s our loved ones and us who bear the brunt of the road carnage.