If you ride a motorcycle or are planning to ride one in Nairobi, you are likely to sooner than later hear how dangerous it is. If everyone says it is so dangerous, then there has to be some truth to it. Well, let us take a closer look and also see what can be done to minimize the risk
How dangerous is it really?
Without wanting to become too academic here, it seems as though there may be some correlation between the number of road traffic accidents and the overall level of “development” of a country. This may not be surprising, as bad roads, lack of enforcement of safety standard and traffic regulation, etc. would help to explain this. In any case it seems that Kenya on the whole ranks about average on the African continent in regards to road safety (see map below)
(Note: the darker the colour the higher the number of road accidents / motorized vehicles)
Overall, Kenya appears to be one of the more dangerous countries worldwide in regards to road safety. The question remains however, how much more of a risk you are placing yourself under by riding a motorcycle in Kenya as opposed to choosing other forms of transportation?
In carrying out a quick google search I came across a foray of articles suggesting that motorcycles are indeed the most dangerous form of transportation. One newspaper article read “Motorcycles – Fastest Rising Cause of Death on Kenyan Roads”. In fact this headline is somewhat misleading, as the proportion of motorcycles compared with the total number of motorized vehicles on Kenyan roads has been increasingly sharply. Between 2006 and 2014, the registered motorcycles increased from 6,250 to 111,124 according to one news report, increasing nearly 40 fold. In 2011, motorcycles made up 70% of all newly registered vehicles. Sources estimate that around 50 – 70% of motorized vehicles in Kenya are by now 2 wheelers. In that sense it is not surprising that the share of accidents in which 2 wheelers were involved is also increasing.
In comparing the danger that one poses in riding a motorcycle as opposed to e.g. driving a car one has to compare the respective number of people hurt in accidents of two wheelers/cars with the total number of people using the respective motorized vehicle types on the road. Unfortunately, we were not able to find such statistics. We were able to find the percentage share of victims in road fatalities in Kenya in 2017 from the Kenyan National Transport and Safety Authority
Indeed, pedestrians make up close to 40% of road fatalities more than any other group. Motorcycles result in the second highest number of fatalities in Kenya. However, this statistic does not really allow us to determine what the most dangerous form of transport is since we do not know what total number of people use those forms of transport. The least number of fatalities has come from bicyclists, but there are arguably also relatively few bicyclists on Kenyan roads to begin with.
Ultimately, we could not find the relevant statistics to have fully informed views on the risks that one faces riding a motorcycle compared with other public transport types in Kenya, but perhaps that is not necessary. What is clear, is that riding a motorcycle in Kenya is dangerous. Nearly 700 motorcyclists die in Kenya each year. Similarly, important to note however is that road traffic overall in Kenya is dangerous for all participants.
How to minimize the risk while riding in Nairobi/Kenya?
Generally, people (who usually do not drive themselves) will mansplain that riding is dangerous because drivers around you are unpredictable. That is of course true, and you will never be able to eliminate risk altogether, as for anything in life, but you will be able to reduce it substantially based on your own decisions.
The risk of riding is ultimately a function of:
Time spent riding x personal driving style/ability x quality of your bike x danger of the road (wet/steep/narrow/busy…) x behaviour of others
Time spent riding
– this is easier said than done, but minimize the amount that you ride your bike
– choose your accommodation strategically to minimize your commute.
Ultimately, boda boda drivers spend 12h riding the bike. If you only spend 30 minutes, you are 24x less likely to get in an accident than them
Personal driving style & ability
– the most obvious thing is to not ride if you do not know how to ride. The better of a driver you are the lower your risk
– wear a helmet (The World Health Organization found that wearing a good quality helmet can reduce the risk of death by 40% and the risk of injury by 70%. In Kenya 33% of motorcycle fatalities were caused by lack of helmet)
– Obey traffic laws (In Kenya a majority of motorcycle fatalities is caused by riders not obeying traffic laws, e.g. overtaking where not allowed, speeding, ignoring traffic signs)
– Do not drink and drive or smoke and fly
– Wear reflectors and use daytime headlights
– Do not drive to impress anyone
– Avoid driving when wet, at night, or generally when there is bad visibility
(In Nairobi, when it rains, it pours.)
Quality of the bike
– make sure your bike is well maintained at all time
– make sure your bike is powerful enough to follow the speed of the other vehicles
Danger of the road
– choose the roads you use carefully. The risks you face on busy roads such as Mombasa Road, Wajaki Way are statistically much higher. Generally it is best to avoid busy roads
– If you do have to drive at night, then make sure you know the road and you know where the potholes are
(This particular pothole has been there for months. If you take this road at night you should already know about this hole or it could get dangerous)
Behaviour of others
This is of course somewhat outside your control, but you can take precaution to factor in the behaviour of others for example
– Always assume that the other vehicles have not seen you. When you are passing a vehicle, think about whether they have an option to turn. Assume that they may simply not put the indicator and make a sharp unexpected turn
(Here it looks as though the car is going straight as there is no indicator but you should always factor in that the driver may take a sudden left turn…)
– Take extra distance from other motorcyclists, they are far more erratic in their driving then cars. They can easily change course and ride into you
– Sound your horn when necessary to alert others that you are coming. This is especially important when you are in traffic and passing other cars. Pedestrians often pass between cars in traffic without looking out for motorcycles
– Be extra careful when there are any large vehicles on the road that block your vision. As a rider you need to read the traffic and anticipate the behaviour of others. If you cannot see behind a vehicle, you will not know what goes on behind
(Here you cannot see at all what is behind the bus, neither can pedestrians see you who intend to cross…)