The aftermath of a road crashAt least 40 people have died, and 180 others sustained injuries in 33 road crashes reported across the country in the first 20 days of August, the Kenya Red Cross Society has said.
The latest figures mark a rise from the statistics the humanitarian organisation released earlier this month, when it reported 31 deaths and 75 serious injuries from 23 crashes in the first 13 days of August.
“23 crashes. 31 lives lost. 75 seriously injured in just 13 days of August,” the Kenya Red Cross said at the time.
The latest figures mean seven additional crashes and nine more deaths have been recorded in the seven days since the earlier update, while the number of casualties has more than doubled.
The figures were released as the International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA), through the Kenya Red Cross, convened journalists for a media roundtable on road safety, where the organisation called for a shift from reacting to crashes to preventing them.
"We explored amending Section 42 of the Traffic Act for speed management in high-risk zones, paired with the Safe System Approach, to help reduce road deaths," the group added.
The latest figures come amid an already worrying national road safety situation.
According to Kenya Red Cross, data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) also shows that 2,150 people lost their lives in road crashes between January and June this year, underscoring the scale of the country's road safety crisis.
The humanitarian organisation has been involved in responding to road crashes, including providing emergency assistance to victims, but its latest call places greater emphasis on preventing crashes and reducing the severity of injuries when they occur.
Red Cross urged stakeholders to treat road safety as a shared responsibility as the country continues to grapple with the human cost of road crashes.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” the organisation said.
It has previously called for motorists to slow down, exercise patience while overtaking and avoid driving when fatigued to reduce the risk of fatal collisions.
The latest figures come amid persistent concerns over road safety, with pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users often bearing the greatest consequences of crashes.
With 40 people already recorded dead in crashes by August 20, the latest figures underscore the urgency of the call for preventive action, even as emergency responders continue to deal with the consequences of crashes on the country's roads.
