{
  "id": 17389893,
  "title": "12 drivers arrested as NTSA intensifies road safety checks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/12-drivers-arrested-as-ntsa-intensifies-road-safety-checks",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T11:23:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "KBC",
    "slug": "kbc",
    "url": "https://www.kbc.co.ke/12-drivers-arrested-as-ntsa-intensifies-road-safety-checks/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Twelve drivers were arrested and their vehicles seized during a nighttime road safety operation in Meru County, as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) steps up enforcement ahead of the festive season. The interagency operation focused on motorists breaking traffic laws, resulting in the discovery of several instances of driving under the influence of alcohol. Eight of the 12 arrested drivers had a Blood Alcohol Content (BrAC) reading above the legal limit of 0.35 mg/l, with some readings exceeding 1.5 mg/l. One driver refused to provide a breath specimen for analysis. The crackdown is part of NTSA's intensified road safety efforts through its Msimu Bila Ajali, Usalama Barabarani campaign. In October, a bus carrying passengers returning from a burial collided with a lorry near Mtito Andei, killing 24 people and injuring several others. This crash occurred just three weeks after another multi-vehicle collision near Mlima Kiu in Salama, Makueni County, killed 17 people, most of them Catholic pilgrims. Road safety data from NTSA shows a 9.2% increase in fatalities between January 1 and October 4, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025. Pedestrians were the most affected, with 1,490 deaths, followed by motorcyclists at 1,061.",
  "summary": "8 of the 12 drivers were driving under the influence of alcohol. The post 12 drivers arrested as NTSA intensifies road safety checks appeared first on KBC Digital .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "People Daily Kenya",
        "title": "NTSA arrests 12 drivers in Meru, records high alcohol levels in breathalyser tests",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/ntsa-arrests-12-drivers-in-meru-records-high-alcohol-levels-in",
        "published": "2026-10-31T07:48:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Capital FM Kenya",
        "title": "NTSA arrests 12 drivers in Meru, eight test positive for drink-driving",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/ntsa-arrests-12-drivers-in-meru-eight-test-positive-for-drink-driving",
        "published": "2026-10-31T08:54:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}