National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is pushing for road traffic crashes to be declared a national disaster.

The proposal comes against the backdrop of worsening road safety indicators, with data from the agency showing that about 20,000 crashes claim over 5,000 lives annually, destroying families, overwhelming health system and eroding economic productivity.

“We propose that road traffic crashes be declared a national disaster to mobilise urgent government action, secure adequate funding and ensure coordinated enforcement,” the authority says in a statement issued on Sunday, October 25.

For NTSA, the goal and end game is simple: save lives, reduce fatalities and serious injuries, and protect Kenya’s human capital.

The agency is also saying that road safety is not only a transport issue, but also a national development and security priority.

“Such a declaration would enable whole-of-government coordination under clear accountability, and enforce measurable targets across road agencies, the National Police Service, the health sector and county governments.

“With everyone’s support, we can avert this disaster,” it says.