Road safety will need to come from within.

To fully understand the concept and importance of Road Safety, one has to witness a total absence of it. To do that, dare I say, all one needs to do is observe a busy intersection anywhere in Karachi or any other city in Pakistan. Road safety refers to the actions taken to decrease the risk of injuries and death on the road. Pakistan has the unfortunate distinction of having one of the highest numbers of road accident victims in the world. As our country continues to motorize exponentially, this problem will only grow- unless we make urgent and far-reaching changes to our road safety approach.

When it comes to vehicular accidents, especially in Karachi, the single most critical factor is speed. Speed increases both the likelihood of a crash and the severity when it occurs. Traffic calming measures, that is, designing infrastructure components to automatically control excessive speeding, will have a far greater impact on road safety than any other actions. The most effective way to control speed is through road design. In the context of shared road space, traffic calming measures would mean fewer crashes and fatalities for not only car users, but for pedestrians and other road users as well.

Additionally, any road safety strategy will mean nothing if it neglects to consider the mobility and safety of the most vulnerable road user groups, that is pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. In most major cities in Pakistan, these groups make up more than 75 percent of all road fatalities; pedestrians generally account for more than half that number. However, most of our road safety strategies are car-centric. Little attention is paid to the mobility needs of vulnerable road users, putting them at risk as they attempt to negotiate their way through fast-moving traffic.

From an individual standpoint, as the heading suggests, Road Safety will need to come from each individual and from within. Simple steps like driving with a considerate attitude can have a cascading effect on the improvement of road safety...