Terrorising the public — Are gory signboards 'helping' road safety?

E-Paper | July 02, 2026

I drive down the Lahore-Multan Road as part of my daily commute everyday. Yesterday on my way back home from the office, a signboard showing a blood-soaked body of a road accident victim jumped out at me.

The sight was so grisly that I had to halt my car; my stomach churned as my mind registered the graphic image.

The provocative signboard put up by National Highway Authority and Motorway Police, who operate and administer the N-5 route, read:

"Caution: Wear Helmet...Save Life"

followed by:

"Watch your left and right before getting on the highway"

After regaining composure, I realised that the signboard was installed for public awareness.

To its credit, it may encourage bike riders to wear helmets. But my beef is with the explicitly graphic image of a road accident victim — how does it constitute public viewing?

Take a look: Why Pakistan needs a 400 per cent increase in traffic challans

Many will contend that graphic images have long been placed on cigarette packages to discourage people from smoking. However, there is one significant point we cannot discount while comparing the two: the audience is very different.

The signboard in question is out in the open for everyone, including naive, impressionable minors, to see.

Is it appropriate to burden them with gory images of traffic accident victims?

On the other hand, cigarettes packets are likely only purchased by those who smoke them.

Perturbed I went home that day with a question bothering me immensely: How could NHA and MP — two organisations for which I have immense respect — put up something utterly lacking in sensitivity and sensibility?

See: Pakistan's traffic accidents record: Punjab down, KP up since 2011

I was positive that they had merely emulated the image already put up somewhere else. I carried out a rigorous Internet search in a quest to find similar signboards. Hours of browsing only revealed a letter containing proposals regarding public interest signs addressed to the India Youth Secured Organisation.

It also included a sample of a signboard showing an image of an accident victim. Upon further research I found out that the idea was not implemented by the Indian police. This meant that the NHA signboard was the first of its kind.

Effects of gore

Research conducted by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) shows that exposure to violent media (which includes the display of blood and gore) can lead to real-life violent behavior, while also harming children in other ways.

Moreover, gory and bloodied images can also contribute to sleeping problems due to nightmares.

Now imagine a school-going child, who uses the Lahore-Multan Road to commute, viewing this deeply troubling signboard every day.

What does the law say?

According to 8(2) and 8(3) of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority's (Pemra) guidelines for media:

"Appropriate warning shall be given upfront for content which may be potentially disturbing or upsetting so as to enable a viewer to make an informed choice."

followed by:

"Scenes with violence or suffering such as close-up shots of persons brutally tortured or killed shall not be shown."

With such a code of conduct imposed on the media, it is apparent that the state realises that it is not okay to post graphic content that is intended to be shocking. And yet, these gory signboards are state-sponsored.

Yes, it is supremely important to have public awareness campaigns in a country where there is a blatant violation of traffic rules, and thousands lose their lives in road accidents annually but we should not be terrorised into good traffic awareness at the cost of our mental health.

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Adan Ali is a writer at PakWheels. He is passionate about cars, loves to follow automotive news and is curious to see where the auto industry is headed once electric cars become a norm.

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Hussain Ahmed

Jul 14, 2016 03:38pm

Really appreciate your blog. However, I would say it is not that bad to put such signs - for sure, putting pictures may be considered as rather tough. In Germany, there are such signs in all highways. THough they are having any photos of accidents but some of them are really emotional. And has to be: people should think- one small mistake can destroy a whole family

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Adil Saeed

Jul 14, 2016 03:50pm

Dear Adnan, I agree with your opinion 110%. Somehow, violence has reached a disturbing level of acceptance in our society and in our media. I don't know which caused the other, but that is the shocking reality. I remember news channels showing disturbing CCTV clips of suicide bombings, accidents & road killings. I am a father myself, and will never ever tolerate my kids watching stuff like this. I waited for someone to raise the issue, but I failed to find a like-minded person till now. I hope that this issue gets the due attention of PEMRA and the courts as well.

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Sabir

Jul 14, 2016 03:56pm

Yes, I observed these signboards all the way from Karachi to Lahore on N5 last week, and every time I saw it while driving, I felt same feeling which the young writer felt. Really appreciate the write-up and strongly agree with him. Relevant authorities must pay attention to this issue immediately.

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Iqbal Aswani

Jul 14, 2016 04:09pm

Maybe the writer is not violating the road safety rules, that's why such things appear to be offensive to him. But unless you don't put something like this, road abusers will not care. They will keep on causing the damage. However, the "gore" effect which the writer is referring can be reduced by putting such pictures in Black & White (not red color blood or so).

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Brahmdagh

Jul 14, 2016 04:16pm

Threats, are a far far better motivation than sweets. Ask any psychologist. It is known.

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Ravian

Jul 14, 2016 04:24pm

That is unfortunately reality, though less graphic images can be equally effective. There used to be a picture of motorcycle in E R waiting room of university hospital caption reading" Donor mobile".

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asim nawaz

Jul 14, 2016 04:27pm

Dear we should help the government to get this implemented, the law and enforcement cannot implement this without coaching and educating the general Public, there should be training information sharing sessions by the community heads. Like Khateeb sahibaan of Masaajid should highlight this issue, the head in school and colleges, offices etc. Our general public should be aware of this, the morning shows on TV, the political worker, NGO's. this is a biggest dilemma we are facing

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Amer RAO

Jul 14, 2016 04:38pm

Nice to see, such ads in Pakistan. Visual effects are very important and public take quick notice.

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Reza

Jul 14, 2016 04:59pm

If the signboards make people think twice and save even 1 life, then it is all good.

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Farooq Jawed

Jul 14, 2016 05:04pm

Wearing helmets do save lives. To be on the streets without one and have an accident will cause harm. In many cases its been proven that if the victim had an helmet would be alive today................and if gory pictures of actual accidents can help to alleviate the problem. What's the harm.........its good to see that there is a campaign and is being noticed.

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omar

Jul 14, 2016 05:13pm

if its distracting its dangerous, heavy fines for non-compliance to highway code (like not wearing helmets) is the only answer.

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tkh

Jul 14, 2016 05:36pm

Even then people do not budge and do not follow traffic rules.

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Gulrez Khan

Jul 14, 2016 05:56pm

I visit Pakistan once a year for two weeks and I have watched two motorcycle riders die when their head hit the road after a collision last year alone. The scenes were much worse than what you see in this advert. Young lives are being lost - I am unsure what would make the two wheeled riders to wear helmets or for car passengers (and drivers) to wear seat belts.

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Ahsan Gul

Jul 14, 2016 06:13pm

Adnan Ali, what an intriguing and opinion demanding article. Every one is entitled to his opinion but in this case since public safety is concerned you are going to have many responses. In our country we do so many activities without having safety in mind that can have brutal lifelong consequences and can leave a person paralyzed. One of them not wearing helmets and the other not wearing seat belts. So, these bill boards may be gruesome to look at but do draw attention and provide a reminders to public. In our country we do not have transportation laws as you read in auto magazines, so these billboards do a little job.

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ss from sydney

Jul 14, 2016 06:50pm

In a country like Pakistan where people drive, ride motorcycles in possibly the worst manner compared to any other country, they are rude, ill tempered and aggressive….in such circumstance it is appropriate to show graphic images on billboards to expose the consequences of such ill mannered driving habits.

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Naeem

Jul 14, 2016 07:19pm

Shock therapy is an established practice is mending warped habits. Our society needs these shocks. If you go abroad, on return you will realise just how callous our attitudes are to health and safety and driving habits. We are fatalistic people and that adds to the problem , in fact it licenses people to disregard safety procedures believing in the inevitability of life and/or death. Our country has seen exponential growth of cheap motor cycles and I see in my daily work in hospitals just how bad accidents can be. The ways children are carried on motorbikes , overseas people do not even treat rag dolls that callously.

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UKCOP

Jul 14, 2016 07:47pm

As someone who works in child safety education and policing I have to say I really appreciate this blog. Well done to the author.

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Sami

Jul 14, 2016 07:50pm

Our people don't pay heed to simple warnings.

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JAS_USA

Jul 14, 2016 07:51pm

Surprised to see so many people in favor of graphic images on the signs. Before discussing the impact on children, tell me if this is morally right. What if the guy in the picture was your relative? What has happened to you Pakistan?

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Agha Ata

Jul 14, 2016 09:01pm

A magnificent article. You wrote about such a subtle but extremely important point in our lives. Next time they might like to hang a real-dead-man upside down and bleeding. That would be very effective but utterly ridiculous. There are many ways to show what is right. For example, they can show the picture of a young handsome man, and ask: "Do you think he is handsome? and then say: NO, he WAS handsome; now he is no more. He often made these mistakes: blah blah blah.

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WiseGuy

Jul 14, 2016 09:09pm

We as a nation needs to be civilised first, and this certainly is not the right way to get things done. Many alternatives are available which are less gore and more practical the this. Nevertheless a good step hopefully things will get better if such activities roll on steadily.

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ibs

Jul 14, 2016 10:36pm

You cannot make a cookie cutter generalization for all nations. Pakistanis are a little hard headed and don't understand these things easily. If it can save even a single life or bring some people to their senses it is a victory.

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Gtausif

Jul 14, 2016 10:53pm

An image is worth a 1000 words and in Pakistan where no one pays any heed to the written notices, there is no harm in such images. In fact, it should be done for polio awareness, hand washing, teeth brushing, child education etc

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Asfand

Jul 14, 2016 11:02pm

Public information messages are necessary but not with the gory pictures.

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Ahsan Gul

Jul 14, 2016 11:30pm

For all: Many responses against these billboards and not a single suggestion to improve public saftey on highways and or operating motor vehicles. How can we institute public safety properly?

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flipflop

Jul 15, 2016 12:13am

We Pakistanis love to live in chaos and hence we try to mend and break the rules. To judge a nation on how civilised they are, simply look at how they drive their cars, how clean their cities are, and how they treat each other. I think Pakistanis are uncivilised and take things for granted. I hope people start wearing seat belts, helmets and take other safety precautions while driving because these are not for show but rather help save lives or avoid serious injuries.

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RJ - Canada

Jul 15, 2016 12:35am

I cannot imagine what the families of the victims in the billboards must be feeling each time they look at their child / father / mother / relative displayed in such a horrible manner.......

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W G Sheikh

Jul 15, 2016 01:06am

Just imagine how tragic and gore the sight would be of a mother or sister, or father, or six little children left behind without any support; . Just imagine the nightmares that the left behinds have to experience for years or decades, if the only one or one of the main bread-winners, is no more.

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ASAD

Jul 15, 2016 09:09am

early morning and this is my second WTF moment, the first bring the France attack. As a nation, we've become desensitized to violence and gore, but that does not mean the authorities should be putting up images like that. Thank you for raising the issue. I wouldn't say that the impact on innocent minds of this image would be unimaginable. It is totally imaginable as it has been proven by research. In my opinion, the board should be promptly removed and the team that approved such a campaign should be sent for sensitivity training, if there is such a thing in Pakistan.

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Umar Khitab

Jul 15, 2016 10:40am

The number of accidents and the tragic one wheeling incidents suggest one has to shock the public about the perils of the hazards of riding a bike...I know I don't like myself when I second the idea of such graphic signboards ( just like those pictures on the cigarette packets) but I do have a feeling that parents would be able to tacitly enforce their wise decisions on these young kids ( who kill or get killed on the roads) to ride the bikes on the roads for the sake if one wheeling . Life is very precious and we as a nation should be mature enough after 70 years that it is a tragic end to precious young lives who could do wonders if they are guided and led forward to rewarding opportunities. Governments and leaders may have failed but the parents failure is when they cant identify the kids are lying or slipping out of homes for one wheeling.

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Bhasker

Jul 15, 2016 10:56am

My friends, in such a world where human lives are given scant regard, say by fellow human beings or by the state actors, what is the point in hiding the reality?. Present day Children has to grow up facing today's world and it will help them grow up with more responsibility and compassion to their own society and the world at large. What the world lack today is Love towards other living beings. Everyone is in a hurry to get ahead of each other and at by any means has become the rule. Let our children at least have the opportunity to think on the reality that we live today.

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Wreck-it Benckiser

Jul 15, 2016 11:16am

While it is unethical to put up gory signboards for controlling traffic violation, I believe this seems to be a practical way of helping Pakistani people save their own lives. Apparently "Speeding can kill" doesn't help much.

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Waseb

Jul 15, 2016 03:04pm

The question is: Will the parents/family of an accident victim allow you to permanently install a signboard of the dead body of their son??? The answer may help in concluding this debate.

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SYED HASSAN HASEEB

Jul 15, 2016 03:33pm

the picture is not good for posting . in fact we live in a society where culture of punishment exist in all aspects of live this ad is a part of it. no body informs on radio and tv programs that for bikers 80 percents death occurs due to head injury so use them for yourself . secondly during hot weather the head gets very hot and sweat starts coming. the helmets used should have small perforations or any other arrangements so they be kept cold pl look into it.

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Anita Turab

Jul 15, 2016 06:07pm

What else can illiterate people understand? Have you not seen 4 kids and wife sitting sidesaddle on a wavering bike in the middle of heavy speeding traffic? What kind of sign can work on jungles? Only graphic photographs.

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mohammadanus

Jul 16, 2016 11:24am

What a brilliant young blogger...very insightful.

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fara

Jul 17, 2016 10:47am

you gave words to my thoughts. i think the same whenever i travel from hyd to karachi and see these horrible sign boards..

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