- Proper implementation of traffic rules can curtail fatal road mishaps,
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12,000 people lose their lives annually to road accidents
A seminar on road safety was conducted to impart awareness to road users about effective planning and implementation of traffic rules.
Speakers said that road accidents claim 1.3 million lives worldwide annually, whereas in Pakistan 12,000 lives are lost every year due to reckless driving.
Speaking on the occasion, National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema said that Pakistanis lack good discipline and road sense including the important 3Es-Education, Law Enforcement and Engineering. “Law enforcement being the most important of the 3Es is a major cause of accident as people usually ignore it,” he added.
He said that more than 80 percent accidents occur due to the fault of drivers and remaining 20 percent due to mechanical faults in the vehicle. “Over speeding, careless attitude, underage driving, being under the influence while driving, fatigue and lane violation are major factors which result in fatal accidents,” he opined.
Moreover, the IG said that he believed in the supremacy of the law and is committed to make motorways and the national highways safe for commuters. He further stated accidents are not inevitable but preventable to a great extent if people stop taking calculated risk. He said, “The probability of accidents can be reduced in a number of ways. All public agencies as well as private sectors need to play their role in strengthening road safety.”
The IG suggested that road safety should be part of the academic curriculum to educate the youth. “The NH&MP will be converted into a model organisation of the region as its standards of law enforcement will be raised to the level of European Traffic Police,’ he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Senior Journalist Majib-ur-Rehman Shami said that it was imperative to address the issue of road safety and to discipline motorists in order to protect lives and property of the citizens. He lauded the efforts of IG Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema regarding the issue and improving the traffic discipline on national highways.
Veteran politician and lawyer S.M Zafar also appreciated the efforts of the IG and said that motorway police has changed the conventional police culture through its professional behaviour.
Government College University (GCU Vice Chancellor Dr Khaliq-ur-Rahman, “We aim to introduce transport psychology courses in the curriculum in the near future.”
Rescue 1122 Director General (DG) Dr Rizwan Naseer said that road safety was a major issue and positive behaviour was the only key for bringing a change in the society.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rai Tahir said that modern technology is the need of the hour to create a better road safety environment in Pakistan. SSP Ather Waheed, Auto Motor Design Director Umer Qureshi and Dr Zara Batool also spoke on the occasion.
