Road accidents: When bystanders choose looting over aid at Kenyan car crash sites

In the moments after a vehicle overturns, the sight of gathering figures often sparks relief. Only to give way to disillusionment when hands dart for the battery before even offering first aid to the injured.

This troubling behaviour reveals that Kenya’s road safety challenges aren’t limited to potholes and speeding; they run deeper, exposing a crisis of compassion.

At crash sites, the real danger lies not only in mangled metal, but in the erosion of basic empathy.

These five car crash-site behaviours reveal a troubling erosion of bystander ethics in Kenya:

1. Looting the injured

In many accident scenes, instead of helping victims, onlookers help themselves.

Theft at crash sites isn’t even shocking anymore. It’s expected.

Some carry tools, act like they're helping, only to grab and go.

In fact, in Nairobi, it is not uncommon to hear stories of injured passengers waking up in the hospital with their phone or shoes missing.

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Phones come out fast. Before ambulances. Before police. Before proper first aid.

People record accident scenes for likes and retweets. Never mind the blood.

Never mind the faces of the injured. A person struggling for their last breath might go viral before they get help.

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Instead of slowing down, many motorists express frustration by blaring horns and trying to squeeze through the crash site.

This only adds to congestion, delays emergency response, and intensifies stress for both victims and first responders.

Crowds and stalled cars frequently obstruct ambulances and fire trucks.

Instead of clearing a path, bystanders sometimes linger, fascinated by the scene or hoping to catch a glimpse, unaware that every second lost can cost a life.

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In the absence of verified information, assumptions fill the void. "Drunk driver!" "They were speeding!"

Facts take a backseat. In minutes, the accident victims have already been judged and sentenced.

Sometimes the speculation causes more pain to the families than the accident itself.

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Sure, nobody wants to feel judged in their grief or shock. But these habits have real consequences: delays in medical response, increased risk of further injury, loss of property through theft and loss of dignity for car crash victims.

Proper car crash site conduct begin with:

1. Calling (and waiting for) the professionals, first responders and police.

2. Securing the scene using hazard signs, and directing traffic away.

3. Providing comfort to the injured, offering water or a hand.

4. Respecting privacy, and the law too. Personal compartments and pockets are off-limits.

Those not directly assisting should continue on, ensuring the roadway remains clear for emergency vehicles.

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Ultimately, the true measure of Kenya's road safety won't be in statistics alone, but in the choices made by every passerby when disaster strikes.

By replacing opportunism with empathy, each individual can become part of the solution rather than the problem.