Accidents have reduced since New Year – NTSA
There has been a significant reduction in the number of road fatalities since the start of 2017, a report by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revealed.
The report dubbed Comparative Statistics Trends revealed that only 766 road users have lost their lives on the road between January 1 and April 2 compared to 847 during a similar period in 2016.
This according to the report, represented an encouraging fall of 9.6 percent in road fatalities during the period under review when compared to the same period last year where 81 more cases were recorded by the authority.
In the four months under review, pedestrians still led the number of road fatalities accounting for 296 deaths, motor vehicles passengers followed with 179, while motor cyclists came third with 137 recorded fatalities.
Next on the list were drivers who accounted for 77 deaths, pillion (motor cycle) passengers recorded 66 cases and lastly, pedal cyclists recorded 11 fatalities.
SERIOUS INJURIES
The numbers, however, represent a small reduction from 2016 statistics where 326 pedestrians died, 180 passengers, 142 motor cyclists, 105 drivers, 69 pillion passengers, and 25 pedal cyclists succumbed on the road.
The number of those who sustained injuries ranging from slight to serious injuries also reduced significantly except for pillion passengers and motor cyclists who continue to post high numbers of injuries sustained.
During the period between January and the beginning of April a total of only 1, 130 road users sustained serious injuries compared to 1, 374 in a similar period last year.
What is common though is that motor vehicle passengers, pedestrians and motor cyclists continue to suffer the most on the road. The three set of road users contribute more than two-thirds of the injuries sustained.
Those who sustained slight injuries also reduced from 1, 684 in 2016 to 1,336 this year. Still, motor vehicle passengers led the way with 1, 043 sustaining slight injuries out of the total of 1,336 recorded injuries in 2017.