The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has raised alarm over fake motor vehicle safety equipment, especially chevrons and portable triangles, in the market increasing the risk of road accidents across the country.
- Chevrons and portable triangles are used to enhance a car’s visibility by maximising reflection of light to make its presence more visible to other drivers.
- Compromised safety equipment means that they might not maximise visibility because they do not reflect light as they should.
- Kebs says it has ascertained that some brands of motor vehicle chevrons and portable warning triangles currently being sold in the market do not meet the requirements of their respective Kenya standards.
“The implication of this non-compliance is that the retroreflective property of such products is low, thereby diminishing their visibility especially at night and increasing the risk of road accidents,” Kebs said in a public notice, “Manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers are therefore advised to only place on the market motor vehicle and chevrons and portable warning triangles with valid Kebs standardization marks or locally manufactured products with Kebs marks.”
Sub-standard and counterfeit goods are also prevalent in products such as alcoholic drinks, juices, electronics, and machinery exposing local producers to uneven competition from the importers of such products.
Last year, Kebs appointed four inspection firms as pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) agents to enforce standards.
The verification of products before shipment to ensure they meet Kebs standards is overseen by several organizations, including French firm Bureau Veritas, China Certification and Inspection Group, British multinational Intertek International, and Swiss multinational Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS).
Why it Matters
Flagging down the fake motor vehicle chevrons and portable triangles is part of Kenya Bureau of Standard’s broader efforts to enhance road safety in the country. In April this year, The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said about 1,214 lives were lost in road accidents between January-April.
In 2023, the Authority reported a reduction in the number of fatalities involving pedestrians, pillion passengers and motorcyclists. Overall, 2023 numbers showed a reduction in fatalities from 1,021 to 974, a 4.6 per cent drop compared to a similar period in 2022.
The reduction was mainly attributed to increased public education and awareness through the Government Road Safety Mainstreaming Programme and the Usalama Barabarani Campaign supported by the European Union.