Overlapping, a Costly Egocentric Behavior on Kenyan Roads

Despite the enormous improvement on our roads and highways through dualling, overlapping still stand a major cause of road accidents.

Overtime overlapping descriptive of queue- jumping has become a norm deeply rooted within the bounds of our motorists who tend to drive on the wrong side of the road trying to avoid a slow -moving traffic.

If you have happened to be stuck in a jam especially during rush hours then you must have seen such mannerless behavior displayed on the roads by drivers who are impatient and leave you wandering if the road sector should do a draft of listing motorists into the cadre of speciality.

Statistics indicate an increase in accidents where motorists overlap with impunity a number of them being those with government vehicles or well- connected personnel and recently the PSVs have joined the list.

Consequently, this reckless behaviour causes security risks of the people onboard while creating safety concerns to the road users and the general public who are often adversely affected.

The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) in their daily public notices always urges motorists to avoid overlapping to ensure their safety when using the roads and highways.

NoThe Authority ensures seamless connectivity of good and services and the safety of motorists along the major road networks

Over the past weeks the country has experienced a floods catastrophe which has rendered most of the roads an impassable sludge however, motorists are delusional of the fact that they a run a risk of collisions, damaged vehicles, loss of life or landing into ditches when overlapping.

According to the constitution on the Traffic Act section 55 overlapping is an offense charged by law and the offender is liable to spend two years jail term, ksh400,000 fine or both as stipulated in section 58 of the Traffic Act.

Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police Douglas Kanja in a memo on February 16 commanded police commanders to detain vehicles found overlapping or using the wrong side of the roads or highways.

Even though overlapping maybe a moral dysfunction the traffic marshalls should be vigilant to root out such motorists and bring them to books and discourage this act lessening be damage accrued.

Our motorists therefore must learn the virtue of patience to help the traffic marshals to coordinate the traffic and save live as everybody is equal on the roads.