Karachi :(February 12, 2021)Chairman of National Business Group of FPCCI, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said road safety is an ignored subject with rules and guidelines are not strictly followed.

Road safety is very important that has to be followed at all times to ensure the safety of the drivers, passengers, pedestrians and keep the vehicles safe, he said. 

Speaking at a seminar organised by Diplomatic Forum, he said that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death and disability because rules are not followed.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that it is sad to note that road safety is not high on the agenda in our country and the authorities have also failed to ensure road safety by punishing the offenders to deter others.

Similarly, there should be effective bodies to take care of the families of the deceased and those who are injured in traffic accidents, he added. 

He noted that drivers of commercial public transport vehicles continue to play with the lives of passengers and pedestrians because they have been allowed to do so which result in accidents. 

The fitness procedures of commercial vehicles have also left much to be desired while special measures are absent in the accident-prone zones of highways which is badly needed in hilly areas. 

He also called for implementation of rules regarding helmet, issuing of licences should be improved and traffic signs should be visible on all the roads. 

He informed that according to the UN estimates, around 1,354,840 people lost lives in road accidents in 2020 while up to 50 million got injured which has a great social and economic cost. 

Moreover, the risk of dying in a road traffic crash is more than 3 times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries.

Karachi, the business hub of Pakistan, has a large road network while road accidents are among a major cause of death and injury. Road traffic injuries due to poor road conditions and poor road surfaces lead to safety problems that cause emotional, physical and economic burden. 

Despite the gravity of the problem, there is little awareness among masses to avoid accidents or support families of those who die or become disables due to such accidents. 

He noted that it was very important to be aware that road traffic injuries remain an important public health problem. When road safety products are utilized correctly or efficiently, they can help save lives, prevent accidents and injuries, and keep a society functioning in the most optimal way.

He also acknowledged and commended the efforts of the Diplomatic Forum and Sindh Police to ensure road safety and support the needy and said that the provincial and central governments should also come forward to improve the situation.