Perception Of Safety Among Passengers As Road Users Along The Nairobi-Nakuru Road

Abstract

Road traffic accidents have become the leading cause of death and disability in many countries across the world. Road crashes represent a major social cost to most societies, and their management has thus been a high priority. Road traffic accidents are believed to have varying causes. Hence, the ultimate aim of all road traffic research and intervention is, to some extent, identify and reduce these causes as much as possible. The study sought to assess the perceived safety among passengers as road users of the Nairobi - Nakuru highway. The study sample constituted of 120 passengers who used the Nairobi - Nakuru road as the main respondents, and 8 key informants whose views were considered relevant for the study. The data were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire and an interview guide and were analyzed through descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies. The findings were presented in form of bar graphs, charts and tables. The study found that the perceived safety among the passengers who ply the Nairobi - Nakuru road is low. The passengers assessed their safety along the road through the type of driving, the speed of driving, and the condition of the vehicle among others. The study found that the passengers ensure their safety by not boarding vehicles driven by drunkards, vehicles with excess passengers and inspecting the condition of the vehicle before boarding. The passengers felt that the measures put in place by the transport ministry could have been more effective if they were well implemented especially the banning of night travel, use of alco-blow (a tool of measuring alcohol content imbibed by a driver) and imposing of heavy penalties and fines for reckless drivers.