Her name is Bright. But one dark day, a road crash blighted her life forever.
“I am still paying for that one crash until now. I have not walked for 27 years now,” says Bright Oywayo.
She had done everything right. She was on a safety belt, in the correct lane, and at the right speed.
But a driver behind her attempted to overtake at the wrong place. Her vehicle was hit from behind, and from the front by an oncoming truck.
“For those who survive, there is loss of income and social exclusion. The economic, social and community burdens are numerous,” she says.
Bright, who was paralysed waist down and is in a wheelchair, is the executive director of the Association for Safe International Road Travel- Kenya.
She is one of the more than 10,000 Kenyans who survive road crashes every year, but suffer the consequences for life.
According to the Ministry of Health, these Kenyans and their helpers spend Sh46 billion on treatment every year.
The figure includes primary care and long-term treatment and rehabilitation costs for those maimed in accidents, Medical Services PS Harry Kimutai said.
He spoke at the launch of The Status Report in Road Safety 2023, released by the World Health Organization on Tuesday.
These crashes are totally preventable, which means the deaths and injuries can be avoided, WHO said.
The launch was also supported by other organisations such as the National Transport and Safety Authority, and Science Africa, a media organisation.
“Road traffic injuries are ranked ninth as the leading cause of death in our country. Besides these deaths, hundreds of thousands are seriously injured suffering long-term impairments and lifelong disabilities. Those who survive undergo prolonged suffering and incur lots of expenditure from medical treatment and rehabilitation,” Kimtai said in a speech read by Dr Isaac Bashir, who heads the Department of Family Health at the Ministry.
The Status Report in Road Safety 2023 shows Kenya has Africa's fifth highest rate of road traffic deaths.
At least 4,000 Kenyans are killed in road crashes every year, but those maimed for life every year are about 10,000, according to the NTSA.
The report shows road traffic death rates in the past decade have increased significantly in the African region, with almost 250,000 lives lost on the continent’s roads in 2021 alone. Conversely, global rates fell by 5 per cent during the same period.
Between 2010 and 2021, the region recorded a 17 per cent increase in road-related fatalities, according to the WHO Status Report on Road Safety 2023 for the African region – the latest update.
The region accounts for nearly one-fifth of all road deaths globally, despite being home to only 15 per cent of the world’s population, and three per cent of its vehicles.
“The findings of this report point to a serious public health concern for African countries, with hundreds of thousands of lives being lost unnecessarily. As WHO, we’re committed to working hand in hand with countries to tackle this preventable threat and continue to fully support all efforts to make our roads safer for motorists and pedestrians alike,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.