Slow down, NTSA urges drivers as rains pound parts of the country

Margaret Kalekye
3 Min Read
Motorists wade through a flooded road in Mombasa town

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is urging motorists to exercise caution and responsibility while driving during the wet weather to avert possible accidents.

According to the Authority, the heavy rains experienced in most parts of the country create potentially dangerous conditions for road users.

In particular, NTSA is expressing concern over increased cases of motorists driving through flash floods, flooded roads, and flood riverbeds.

“We appeal to motorists to desist the urge while at the same time plead with passengers to take responsibility for their own safety, speak out and stop the driver” Authority said in a statement.

“With increased rainfall, the Authority cautions road users that after the recent dry weather there is accumulation of dirt, soil, and oil deposits. We advise motorists to reduce their speed, since these deposits lead to formation of slippery surfaces making stopping more difficult thus raising the possibility of losing control” it further noted.

Members of the public have been urged to be extra vigilant as well as look out for vulnerable road users including children, and pedestrians among others.

Consequently, NTSA has announced an intensified crackdown on all major highways.

“As an Authority, we are committed to keeping our roads safe and to this end, NTSA and NPS officers will be on all major highways to undertake road safety compliance checks to monitor speed, verify validity of documentation/licenses, undertake random drunk driving tests, crackdown on overloaded vehicles and illegal PSVs among others”.

The agency has in the meantime issued road safety tips to motorists namely the removal of stalled vehicles as soon as possible, keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, always turning on the headlights to increase visibility and driving slowly after going through water to dry the brakes that usually are affected by water.

Drivers are also advised to always keep both hands on the steering wheel to enable full control, and replace any worn-out tyres while pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are advised to wear bright clothing or reflector vests.

This week the Kenya Meteorological Department (MET) issued a heavy rainfall warning and flooding across most of Kenya.

Several roads have been rendered impassable by floods.

Share This Article
Optimized with PageSpeed Ninja