Assessing the Effect of Road Users' Awareness of Revised Traffic Regulations on the Rate of Road Accidents along Naivasha Highways, Kenya

Abstract

The paper investigated the level of the road users' awareness of the Revised traffic regulations of 2012 and its impact on the rate of road accidents along Naivasha Highways in Kenya. The study assessed the frequency of occurrence of traffic road accidents five years before and after the revision of traffic regulation. Descriptive research design was used. The target population was all the motorists (public service, commercial and private vehicle operators who had used Naivasha Highways for 5 years and above) and traffic accident victims having a total combined population of 12,033. From this population, a total of 284 respondents participated. The motorist respondents were drawn through convenience sampling while accident survivors were drawn purposively. A questionnaire was used to gather information from the motorists and accident survivors. The results obtained from the research area indicated that majority of the respondents were aware of the revised traffic regulations of 2012. Consequently, the study was informed that the respondents' awareness of the revised traffic regulations had significantly reduced the frequency of traffic accidents which was high before the introduction of revised traffic regulations and subsequently low after the implementation of revised traffic regulations along Naivasha Highways. The study recommended that both the National government of Kenya and the County government of Nakuru to embark on a rigorous road safety awareness campaigns on the revised traffic regulations so as to reduce the rate of road accidents. It also advocates for the sensitization of the public through visual, audio and print media on the importance of observing the Revised Traffic Regulations, proper road usage and the purpose of road furniture among others in a bid to reduce the rate of road accidents in the country.