20 Habits Of Highly Reckless Drivers in Kenya: My perspective

As the number of accidents increase day by day on the Kenyan roads; I have come to a conclusion that they are simply contributed by drivers. These drivers possess what I would call ‘Twenty Habits of highly reckless drivers’ on  the Kenyan roads highlighted below:

• 1.        Overlap: This is a critical habit that makes them believe that it gets them to their destination faster.
• 2.        Flash lights while overtaking at wrong points: These drivers overtake at points when it is not safe and flash their lights at oncoming traffic thinking that flashing lights makes their overtaking right and works better than brakes..
• 3.        Carry their kids on the front seats: Another trait that in their opinion is an public display of love for their kids instead of a public display of their ability to kill their babies.
• 4.        Don’t use indicators: They drive without showing any intention to overtake or allow others to overtake or change direction by using their indicators.
• 5.        Block other drivers who indicate intention to join the queue or change lanes: A very common habit displayed by those who never use their indicators. When another vehicle indicates intention to change lanes and get in front of them, they will accelerate to block the slot. These breeds of drivers expect other drivers to send the emails before they can allow them to join the lane they are in.
• 6.        Don’t use the climbing lane: They are common along the main trunk roads which have steep points on the road. They believe that a climbing lane is for trucks and is a display of a weak vehicle so they will trot at 25Kph and not give way to other vehicles which have to overtake them from the left.
• 7.        Race overtaking vehicles: This is a habit mainly exhibited by drivers who think by being overtaken, the power of their vehicles is being challenged thus will accelerate and ensure the other doesn’t get ahead.
• 8.        Drive at 40Kph on a highway: They are so many on Mombasa road and the Thika Highway and will always be found on the acceleration lane driving sheepishly with no care for the jam they drag as a result.
• 9.        Misinformed: The drivers believe that all one needs to be on the road is a car and one leg which they can use to step on the gas pedal and the brakes as they maneuver their automatic vehicles dangerously on the road.
• 10.     Drive so close at the back of another car: such drivers will always close any available gap that exists between their cars and the one in front as if they want to peep into the car ahead. This leave no room for them to maneuver in case the vehicle in front stalls or rolls back on a steep point.
• 11.     Drive without their brains: This is one of the most dangerous habits of all as the drivers leave their brains at home and seem to use the sun’s rays to ignite their reasoning. They will be seen making the dumbest of all decisions and moves on the road. Solar energy is yet to be harnessed to deliver advanced intellectual wavelength.
• 12.     Park/Stop in the middle of the road to pick or drop passengers: They are most commonly found near the shopping centers or malls in the cities and they will not hesitate to fling their hand out should the vehicles he is holding behind hoot. The position of the finger that such drivers would raise at the others who dare honk harder is usually the one in the undisputed position three on their right hands.
• 13.     Double park: Another lot is those who double park in clearly marked parking spots ending up causing inconvenience to other users of the parking slots and considerably reduce the number of vehicles that will eventually fit in the remaining spaces.
• 14.     Fight for shades: I once encountered this type who was refused to move his car to allow another driver park properly. The reason was that the spot he had parked had a shade and apparently he went to this school where he was told that the sun destroys vehicles. Ironically, the vehicle he was driving had been imported from Dubai where it was exposed to extreme sun temperatures beyond the ones in Kenya for 8 years!
• 15.     Rush home whenever it rains: This is a unique habit that is mainly displayed in Nairobi. Whether it is as a result of the foods they eat of the belief that rain destroys vehicles or every one of them is rushing to remove laundry from the line is yet to be established.
• 16.     Have TV screens on their dash boards: A habit common with the younger generation of drivers.  They watch the screens as they drive and the result is not more knowledge in terms of watching news live in the car but more deaths from the distraction.
• 17.     Talk on the phone while driving: They are usually seen around the towns yapping and laughing away as the other hand holds the steering wheel. Some have picked calls while driving only to be informed by the caller that their beloved is dead and the rest remains history..
• 18.     Splash dirty rain water on pedestrians: We see them all over in the rainy season who care less about other road users and hit pools of water at high speed and drench all around in dirty water.
• 19.     Don’t have valid driving licenses and mostly have none at all believing that driving can be inherited from parents or friends instead of having a proper training on the use of the road besides the vehicle.
• 20.     Believe that it is the role of the traffic police and the government to enforce traffic rules and sobriety on the road instead of taking their own personal initiatives to make the roads safer for all users.

For me, anyone who has any of these habits is dangerous enough and is responsible for the deaths and accidents on the roads in Kenya.