Motorways proved safer than highways 

Islamabad

In order to ensure strict implementation of traffic rules, the National Highways and Motorways Police (NH&MP) imposed a record fine of more than Rs450.5 million on drivers only on M-1 and M-2 during the fiscal year 2015-16.

The certified information provided by the National Highways and Motorways Police under the provision of Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002; the NH&MP imposed a record fine on drivers on M-1 and M-2 during the fiscal year 2015-16. Though the magnitude of the fine imposed on drivers is huge but if we have a look at the other side of the story, the ratio of road accidents and casualties is far less than the other highways.

According to the documents, the NH&MP imposed Rs455,316,250 fine on M-1 and M-2 in fiscal year 2015-16. The NH&MP collected Rs134,185,700 as fine imposed on drivers on M-1 for violation of traffic rules during financial year 2015-16 similarly Rs321,130,550 as fine on M-2 during the same period.

The official data further shows that the number of accidents including fatal and non-fatal on these two routes were far less as compared to the other highways in the country. According to the information provided by the NH&MP, total 126 fatal accidents occurred on both M-1 and M-2 whereas 471 non-fatal accidents occurred on the same routes during the fiscal year 2015-16.

The same data further shows that total 183 people lost their lives in traffic related accidents on M-1 and M-2 during the fiscal year 2015-16 and 877 people were injured in the same period on both these routes.

On the other hand, the highways where traffic rules are not being implemented properly, the condition is worst and the ratio of accidents and number of people killed is far high. The road accidents are proving deadlier than the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan whereas untrained, aggressive and careless drivers are proving deadlier than the terrorists. In recent weeks, more than 50 people lost their lives because of aggressive and unpredictable driving of bus drivers.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, last ten years data indicates that the number of people lost their lives in road accidents was much higher than the victims of terrorism as on average 15 people died every day in accidents across the country in last decade, analysis of the official data suggests.

The PBS data on traffic accidents present a horrific picture as average 15 people died every day in traffic accidents across the country. Sindh proved the deadliest in terms of average people killed in accidents, followed by Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The overall ratio of killing in road accidents across the country has been recorded up to 55 percent which, according to the experts and former traffic police officials, are the highest.

Official data shows that a total of 51,416 people have died in 97,739 road accidents across the country whereas almost 40,000 people lost their lives in terrorism related incidents. Even then the traffic accidents have always been an under-reported issue in the country.

Out of the total number of casualties, as much as 29,524 were killed in 51,715 accidents in Punjab, 9,639 died in 13,965 accidents in Sindh, 9,494 people were killed in 27,939 accidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2,250 people died in Balochistan in 4,085 accidents. Out of the total number of accidents, 43,582 accidents were recorded as fatal which is 47.3 percent of the total accidents.

While analysing the data further in order to know the ratio of people killed per accidents across the country, it is found that the ratio of killing per accident is 55 percent in last ten years across the country. Similarly, the ratio of injured people per accident is much higher than the number of people killed is as much as 125 percent per accident.

This correspondent has further analysed the data at provincial level according to which Punjab province is on top in terms of number of accidents, casualties and people injured in the traffic accidents. As per data the number of accidents in Punjab is 52 percent of the total accidents.

The data further shows that the average number of people died per accident in percentage in Punjab is up to 60 which is the second highest in the country. Similarly the number of injured people per accident is recorded up to 129 percent.

It is pertinent to mention here that lack of proper training of public transport drivers, poor system of licence issuance and careless and aggressive behaviour is the major cause of such accidents. Under these circumstances there is a need of ensuring strict implementation of traffic laws on the highways following the footsteps of NH&MP.