International Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Research Vol. 4, No. 1, 2016 ISSN 2309-3218 Multidisciplinary Journals www.multidisciplinaryjournals.com 36 CAUSES AND TRENDS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS IN BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA Brian Wanyama Singoro, Jacob Wakhungu, John Obiri & Edmund Were Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), KENYA ABSTRACT There has been a drastic increase in the use of motorcycles as a means of transport worldwide due to various reasons. In Kenya, the increased use of motorcycles has been seen over the last decade. This increase has brought forth many challenges, including motorcycle accidents on disproportionate scale comparative to the world statistics. Indeed motorcycle accidents constitute a major cause of death and injuries to thousands of people every year. In spite of this, motorcycle accidents remain a neglected problem in Kenya. This study sought to determine the causes and trends of motorcycle accidents in Bungoma County. The study population comprised 400 people from households of motorcycle riders involved in accidents and those not involved. Key informants in the motorcycle transport industry were interviewed. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design to establish the causes, incidences/trends, and vulnerability of motorcycle accidents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of data. The study was anchored on both the crunch model and the wish to die and domino theory. The study found that human error is the leading cause of motorcycle accidents. This is imparted on by poor regulatory and enforcement regimes. Structured and comprehensive training of riders on traffic code and regulations will most likely reduce accidents and associated economic losses. Collective action measures such as motorcycle Saccos for voluntary enforcement and pooling of resources, to aid riders in case of injuries and death, should be explored and pursued. The study provides information and insights on disaster risk reduction for policy formulation on motorcycle accident mitigation. From the results, the proposed strategies that can be employed to curb motorcycle accidents in the order of magnitude are: training of motorcycle riders; observing speed limits; improved roads; not driving while under the influence of drugs/ alcohol; not carrying more than one passenger; improved enforcement by police; proper motorcycle maintenance; wearing protective clothes/ helmets/ boots; wearing reflective jacket; and not driving while tired. Keywords: Motorcycle, Accidents, Injuries, Disaster Risk Reduction. INTRODUCTION There has been an upsurge in the number of motorcycle accidents worldwide that have raised safety concerns. Of the nearly 1.3 million global deaths associated with road accidents on an annual basis to the year 2008, nearly half (46%) occurred among vulnerable road users that comprise pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcycle riders (Odero, 2009). The trend in motorcycle accidents in East Africa is worrying. The number of deaths attributed to motorcycle accidents in Kenya has steadily been on the increase, from 427 in 2002 to 1,755 in 2010 (NRSCK, 2011). Motorcycles have become a common means of transport in Kenya. However, sustained increase in the number of motorcycle crashes is a cause for concern. The upsurge in motorcycles is mainly attributed to abolition of import duty in 2006 with the aim of creating employment and easing transport in rural areas. As a result, motorcycle registration increased to 91,151 units in 2009, up from about 3,759 units in 2005 (KNBS, 2010). Attendant to this, recorded motorcycle fatalities in Kenya have increased four-fold from 44 in 2005 to 164 in 2009, with a particularly high growth in 2008/2009 (NRSCK, 2011).The increasing