| dc.description.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. | en_US |
