Urgent call for action on road safety in Islamabad

Islamabad:As road safety challenges continue to escalate across the country, the Zaman Research Centre (ZRC) at Quaid-i-Azam University is taking a proactive role in addressing the growing crisis.

Islamabad’s roads have witnessed an alarming increase in traffic accidents, with road crashes becoming the second leading cause of fatalities and lifelong disabilities in the capital. This has prompted an urgent call for reforms and interventions to improve road safety and prevent further loss of lives, says a press release.

Dr. Muhammad Zaman, Head of the Zaman Research Center, emphasised the gravity of the situation during a recent seminar:“Road safety is not just a matter of transportation-it’s a matter of public health and national security. Every year, hundreds of families in Islamabad are torn apart by preventable accidents. This is a crisis that requires immediate attention from all sectors of society, including government, academia, and law enforcement.” According to data from the Islamabad Traffic Police, there were over 7,000 recorded road traffic accidents in the capital last year alone, resulting in nearly 400 fatalities and thousands more injuries. The majority of these incidents are attributed to speeding, distracted driving, and failure to follow traffic rules.