KARACHI: With a total of 464 people losing their lives in road traffic accidents across the metropolis in the last two years, traffic authorities have launched a programme for children studying in hundreds of private and government schools in order to train them about rules and regulations of safe travelling and use of roads, it emerged on Monday.

Official data said 2018 and 2019 witnessed deaths of 217 and 247 people, respectively, in road accidents in different areas of Karachi, with motorbikes as the most vulnerable mode of transportation. In most cases, traffic rules’ violations and rash driving were found as the key reasons behind deadly collisions.

“The traffic accidents are not happening on roads on their own but unfortunately we cause them through our actions” said DIG-traffic Javed Mahar. “Violation of traffic signals, overspeeding and driving in wrong direction on major roads have unfortunately become a common practice. It’s quite strange that we no more consider such acts crime or violation of defined laws. Ultimately, they cause accidents and fatal collisions.”

Over 460 died in traffic accidents in 2018 and 2019 in Karachi alone

Data shows that 2018 witnessed a total of 252 road traffic accidents in different areas of the city and 190 of them proved fatal, killing 217 people and leaving 179 injured.

The situation did not improve in 2019 as 221 people were killed and 243 injured in total 247 accidents. This has happened amid different awareness campaigns launched by police authorities for commuters, riders and pedestrians.

Finding it hard to convince drivers about the effectiveness of traffic rules and regulations, the Karachi traffic police have decided to focus on schoolchildren for spreading awareness about traffic laws.

The programme, officials believed, would prove its effectiveness in the long run and help preparing law-abiding future drivers and road users.

“We have designed four stages of the campaign,” said the DIG-traffic. “At the first stage, we are conducting awareness workshops in 100 schools mainly in South and Central districts. In the next phases, we will take these children for practical and make them partners with our officers to control traffic at different intersections. It will give them real-time and first-hand experience of traffic rules and benefits of following them.”

Furqan Bilal, president of the All Private School Management Association which was coordinating with traffic authorities for the campaign, said that the schools across the city had showed great interest in the campaign and it was the first activity of its kind which was focusing on schoolchildren in view of their future role in the society.

“In this regard, we are coordinating with private schools in different areas,” he said. “The traffic police sends [their] team every day to different schools with a fully equipped bus where the officials, both males and females, train the children about safe driving and safe use of roads. So far the response is positive and we hope such a programme would help setting new trend in society,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020