Traffic Rules Violations main cause of Accidents in Pakistan
Pakistan Times National News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Traffic rules and laws are violated in Pakistan with impunity. Most of the road accidents that occur, including fatal ones, are result of traffic law violations. Even otherwise, if no accident takes place still driving on roads in Pakistan is a stressful job because most of the drivers are least bothered about observing rules.

Analysts say, as a matter of fact, reckless driving, jam-packed vehicles, ill-trained drivers, lust for earning more money by overloading commuters, out-lived vehicles mostly owned by sets of elite class; flabbiness by those responsible to check the plying buses, coasters, vans, wagons and even cars, non-implementation of traffic rules by the authorities concerned with multiple identical critical aspects like rampant corruption backed by the vile of pecuniary frustration are deemed to be the root causes of almost all the road accidents, which have, in a way, become a routine.

The Violators

A majority of the traffic law violators are the commercial drivers. All are mostly uneducated and have no idea about traffic rules and regulations. Even educated lot, for some reasons, ignore the traffic rules by taking wrong turns, going on the wrong side and in opposite direction on double roads, driving in wrong lanes, breaking signals, usurping rights of pedestrians, bicycle and motorcycle riders.

This is mainly because of two reasons one, getting driving licence in the country does not require driving skills or knowledge of traffic rules rather it requires acquaintance with the traffic police officials and guts to bribe.

Powerless Cops

The second reason why traffic rules are violated is the pathetic fact that our traffic constables are absolutely powerless and most of them, if not all, are conscienceless as well, resulting that most of the time traffic violators escape penalties.

A media report suggests that traffic rules violation and lack of adequate road safety standards in the country claimed 45,000 lives in 90,000 road accidents during the last nine years causing a loss of approximately Rs.5 million annually.
Every year 1.7 million people die in road mishaps around the world. About 70 per cent deaths occur in the developing countries, out of which 65 per cent involve pedestrians, 35 per cent of them children. Besides, over 10 million people are maimed or gravely injured each year, the report suggests.

Negligence of Drivers

Pakistan, as a third world country, is facing the world’s ninth biggest life-threatening problem, traffic accidents. About 87 per cent accidents are occurred due to the negligence of drivers that indulged in over-speeding, overloading, wrong overtaking and driving under the influence of alcohol.

There are several other traffic rules violations and factors which are cause of road accidents in the country. Most vehicles use blazing headlights during the night which dazzle the driver coming from the opposite direction and this may result in a head-on collision.

Zebra crossing is ignored by some drivers. They do not reduce the speed when they are close to it. People are seen using mobile phones while driving which also cause accidents.

The Plea to Overcome

The traffic police should be given powers to cancel the licences of such errant drivers. Public transport drivers should have special uniform so that they may be easily identified at the time of the accident and do not try to escape from the scene. There should be a ban on the use of radio and tape recorders on vehicles plying on roads and those breaking the speed limit should be fined heavily and their licences be seized.

The staggering figures of road accidents should have moved the concerned departments to take preventive measures against the increasing traffic accidents in the country. But, unfortunately, nothing occurred and no action was taken. Traffic police observe traffic weeks but limit its efforts to mere roadside announcements and on-the-spot traffic education.

Traffic in the twin cities is certainly a matter of concern. Rash driving has certainly to be stopped but where road is found clear, driving vehicles at 50-80 km/h should not harm anybody. Today we have better technology in braking systems and at least 20 times more traffic on roads than decades ago when these traffic rules were framed.●