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Fatigue and the road users: travellers' account!

Road safety continues to be an intractable problem for Kenya’s transport system despite many years of initiatives to reduce the carnage. With the number of drivers on the increase, it is clear that extra care must be taken while driving. In 2001, the World Health Organisation rated Kenya at the top for the highest accident rate in the world. There were 510 fatal accidents for every 100,000 vehicles, followed by South Africa with 260 and Zimbabwe with 205 (Kenya ranks top, 2001). This terrible toll reflects the culture of road use in Kenya, which appears to be characterised by a lack of understanding of, or respect for, dangerous driving. What is indisputable is that the roads in Kenya have a serious ongoing road safety problem. In view of this high crash toll and accident rate, it is presumed that drivers and other road users alike are supposed to take extra care while driving, i.e. by being extremely alert and cautious. However, the abovementioned statistical accident data do not support this. Besides lives being cut short tragically, debilitating injuries due to accidents cause pain, grief and suffering that have lifelong impacts on victims, families and communities. The world report on road traffic injury and prevention describes that the economic cost of road crashes and injuries is estimated to be at 1% of the gross national product in low-income countries, 1.5% in middle-income countries and 2% in high-income countries. The global cost is estimated to be US$ 518 billion per year. Lowand middle-income countries account for US$ 65 billion, which is more than they receive for development assistance (Peden et al., 2004). As a country, Kenya has lost a substantial amount of resources, both in terms of man power and finance, in trying to stem and deal with this road carnage. Odero, Khayesi and Heda (2003) suggest that the fatality rates in Kenya are extremely high with 7 deaths from 35 road crashes every day, and that the impact of the prevailing interventions is dismal. According to a Ministry of Health Report, in 1996 traffic accidents were the third leading cause of death after malaria and HIV/AIDS (Government of Kenya, 1996). On its part, the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MoTC, 2004) estimates that the current total annual average cost to the Kenyan economy is KShs 14 billion or approximately 5% of the gross domestic product. This is not to say that efforts including improved safety features and enforcement of road laws are not being put in place. For instance, in February 2004, the socalled michuki rules were enforced in an attempt to improve Kenya’s appalling record. The government obliged the owners of the country’s 25,000 matatus (minibuses), the backbone of public transportation, to install new safety equipment on their vehicles. Even after this, social and economic demands continue to exert pressure on consumers of the road transport system. Increased competition in the commercial road transport industry has further escalated the problem. While transporters strive for lower costs and an improvement in efficiency, best practices in safety are being compromised. Recommended international practice stipulates that drivers should take 20–30-min breaks after every 1.5–2 h of driving (www.drowsydriving.org; www. landtransport.govt.nz). This also presents an important opportunity for everyone in the vehicle to use the restroom, stretch their legs and get a little exercise. Breaks during long drives give the opportunity to reenergise, regain alertness and press on for everyone. Despite this, many drivers still believe that they can