Kenyans have reacted after a man who is allegedly epileptic caused an accident earlier today.
The motorist Association have taken to social media to raise concern on why the National Transport and Safety Authority license such drivers and even allow them to operate public service vehicles thus putting their lives and those of their passengers at risk.
Why does NTSA allow such drivers to operate PSVs? Its chilling to know that public service vehicles drivers more so the long distance ones have no record of their health. #OnlyinKenya where epileptic drivers are allowed by the transport authority. @TransportKE #MAKAdvocacy pic.twitter.com/rbLdM9IUVh
— Motorist Association (@motoristsoffice) November 26, 2018
Kenyans have however reacted saying that his condition should not be a reason as to why he should be denied the license and everyone should be treated equally despite their health condition.
Another Kenyan mentioned that this could happen to anyone and even people suffering from meningitis can be hit by sudden seizures
According to Wikipedia, Epilepsy and driving is a personal and safety issue. A person with a seizure disorder that causes lapses in consciousness may be putting the public at risk from their operation of a motor vehicle.
Not only can a seizure itself cause an accident, but anticonvulsants often have side effects that include drowsiness. People with epilepsy are more likely to be involved in a traffic accident than people who do not have the condition, although reports range from minimally more likely up to seven times more likely.
It is for this reason that most people diagnosed with epilepsy are prohibited or restricted by their local laws from operating vehicles. However, most places have exceptions built into their laws for those who can prove that they have stabilized their condition.
Individuals who may be exempt from such restrictions or may have fewer restrictions include those who suffered seizures as a result of a medical condition that has been cured.
Since then, laws have been enacted all over the world regarding driving for people with epilepsy. There is an ongoing debate in bioethics over who
Some countries prohibit people who have ever had a seizure from driving. In these countries, it is common for people with epilepsy to hide their condition from authorities in order not to be denied a driver’s license.
Other places allow those who have had seizures to drive after a seizure-free period, which ranges from months to years.should bear the burden of ensuring that a person with epilepsy does not drive a car or fly an aircraft.
What does the Kenyan law say about driving with epilepsy? Be curious enough to find out.