‘741 people died in road accidents last year’

As many as 741 people were killed and some 10,772 received various types of injuries in road traffic accidents across the city in 2018. Among the victims of road accidents, more than 60 per cent were young motorcyclists, and poor conditions of vehicles, broken infrastructures, lack of awareness regarding traffic rules and wrong-way traveling became the reason for accidents.

This was stated by Sindh Police Accident Analysis and Research Centre Incharge Inspector Ali Suhag informed the audience while addressing a seminar held at the Mass Communication Department, Karachi University. The students of the department in collaboration with Traffic Police Sindh observed the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

He said that owing to the growing number of road traffic accidents, the Sindh Police had set up the Analysis and Research Centre to manage data regarding traffic incidents as there was no centralised mechanism for the collection of data on road accidents and for analysing trends and preventive measures. Unfortunately, there was also a communication gap among the stakeholders which create hurdles in taking some solid precautionary measures to avoid or decrease the risk of road accidents.

“We have to create awareness regarding traffic rules along with the implementation of laws in true spirit to minimise the ratio of road traffic accidents,” Suhag said. “There is a need to train staff for taking immediate action and providing an emergency response.”

While highlighting the causes of motorcycle accidents, he said motorcyclists should wear a helmet and mount side glasses while pillion riders, particularly women, should wrap up clothes while traveling on a motorcycle. He said that sometimes the barren chain of motorcycles caused traffic accidents. The motorcyclists should not exceed more than 60 kilometers per hour speed and use the last left lane for commuting on roads.

ADIG Shaaban Ali asked the participants of the seminar not to show reckless behavior on roads. “This life is beautiful and we feel very sad when we see a person losing life due to own negligence.” Every year around 261 people, including 67 per cent motorcyclists, were thrashing their lives in traffic accidents.

Acting KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that before handing over the keys of vehicles to children, parents should make sure that they had complete knowledge of driving two or four-wheelers on roads. He mentioned that discipline and awareness regarding the traffic laws should be taught to everyone.

The event organiser, Tahira Tariq, informed the audience that the objective of the event was to create road traffic awareness by remembering road accident victims and to learn how we could avoid such accidents.