Global best practices in road safety, the need for better road safety measures, and understanding the latest technological advances in the field of traffic safety, were discussed at a recent “Traffic Safety Awareness in Pakistan” seminar.
Jointly organized by the National Highway Authority (NHA) and 3M, the seminar was attended by international road safety consultants, as well as representatives from the Motorway Police and The Federal Ombudsman.
NHA Chairman, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, said improved road connectivity had enhanced the importance of implementing better traffic safety measures in Pakistan and that NHA was aware of the need to make human lives more secure by making travelling more safe. He said the authority had launched several initiatives, including the National Road Safety Plan, and that a continuous effort was being made to improve the standards of road safety.
Stephen Proctor, an international consultant from TMS Consultancy, observed that speeding, poor vehicle conditions, unawareness about traffic laws and their non-observance, and untrained drivers constituted major reasons for high collision rates and resulting fatalities in Pakistan. He said identification of black spots, enhanced safety measures along most vulnerable points, greater public awareness and more strict overloading regulations would greatly help in improving road safety conditions.
