Road accidents drop by 80pc in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi:The ongoing traffic awareness campaign launched by the Rawalpindi Traffic Police (TPR) is beginning to show promising results, with an 80% reduction in road accidents reported in Rawalpindi city during April compared to the same month last year.

According to a TPR spokesperson, the campaign—initiated under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and continuing for the past eight months—has started yielding tangible outcomes. Over 3,000 drivers have participated in awareness workshops held by the department. These sessions were designed using both national and international data to educate drivers on road safety and responsible driving practices. The spokesperson added that the strict enforcement of traffic rules has played a major role in reducing accidents. In April this year, only two road accidents were reported in the urban areas of Rawalpindi, marking an 80% decline compared to the previous year. In rural areas, seven accidents were recorded, reflecting a 50% reduction.

Of the nine total accidents across the district, three were attributed to over-speeding, four to driver negligence, and two to pedestrians attempting blind crossings. Sadly, these incidents resulted in nine fatalities. To further improve road safety, the TPR continues to conduct workshops targeting heavy vehicle drivers, public transport operators, tractor-trolley drivers, motorcyclists, and rickshaw drivers at the traffic police headquarters.