| dc.description.abstract | Road traffic accidents have continued to be one of the greatest challenges not only
in Kenya but globally. The World Health Organization accident statistics indicate that
globally, an estimated 1.2 million people are killed annually through road traffic
accidents and millions more are injured or disabled. Besides creating enormous social
and economic losses to individuals, families and communities, road traffic accidents
place a heavy burden on health services and economic development. Kenya loses an
average of 3000 lives through traffic accidents annually and more than ten times this
number end up partially or totally disabled. Some of the accidents recorded in Kenya
over the past years are very grisly, with some claiming entire families. While efforts are
being made at global level to address road traffic accidents, Kenya though trying is yet to
come up with elaborate measures that can help address this menace effective and
safeguard lives of people who use public service vehicles. One of the landmark
interventions at the global level aimed at addressing road safety challenges was the
declaration of the years 2011-2020 as a Decade of Action on Road Safety by the United
Nations in March 2010 though the UN General Assembly Resolution 64/255. In 2004 the
revised traffic rules were introduced in the effort of restoring order in Public transport.
Kenya’s road safety status remains one of the worst not only in Africa, but globally. This
is in spite of the fact that Kenya has a very low level of motorization compared to that of
developed economies. The purpose of the study was to establish influence of
implementation of the revised traffic rules on road accidents in transport sector in Nairobi
County by assessing how use of seat belts, speed governors, overloading and use of
defined routes by PSVs influences road accidents in Nairobi County, Kenya. The design
used is mixed model as it integrates quantitative and qualitative data through a
transformative process. The study had a target population of 1,856618 and a sample size
of 443 Quota sampling technique was used to collect data from the respondents and
questionnaires were used as research instruments. Primary data collection method was
used whereby the questionnaires were administered to the respondents by hand delivery
and after the specified time collected them and analysed the data. The collected data was
sorted mathematically and organized for easy analysis. The data was then processed,
coded, analysed and the results presented in form of tables whereby 79.5% disagreed that
use of functional seat belts helped in reduction of traffic road accidents, 72.3% disagreed
that all PSVs are fitted with functional speed governors, 83.2% disagreed that all PSVs
carry specified number of passengers and 49% disagreed that all PSVs follow their
defined routes. The findings of the study shows that use functional seat belts, quality
speed governors, stoppage of overloading and use defined routes had a possibility of
providing a long lasting solution to the road carnage but the issue was politicized and
lacked enough stakeholders support hence not fully implemented. The study confirms
that the implementation of the revised traffic rules could help reduce road accidents and
recommends that the government of Kenya should show commitment and determination
in addressing increased deaths on the Kenyan roads by fully implementing the revised
traffic rules, that all stakeholders should be involved in making decisions relating to the
industry as well as ensuring regular vehicle inspection. The study due to time and
financial constraints could not exhaust all factors causing traffic roads accidents not only
in Nairobi County but other parts of the country thus providing suggestions for further
research. | en_US |
