Anarchy on our roads

In Pakistan, driving without a licence is punishable by law, but is one of the easiest offences to get away with

Welcome to Pakistan, where driving without a licence is punishable by law, but is one of the easiest offences to get away with. According to a recent survey by an automotive interest group, 24 per cent of people across Pakistan drive without a driving licence. Considering the large survey sample size — 11,734 people — this is substantive data. This means nearly one in four people on the road is operating a vehicle without being licensed to do so. Of the people without licences, 41 per cent are under the age of 21. Also alarming is the percentage of vehicles that move about without insurance. While the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 mandates that every vehicle on the road be insured, only 25 per cent of vehicle owners respect that law. In the ill-fated event of a traffic accident, it is rare that drivers follow a proper system of calling an insurance agent and documenting the accident. We are clearly not a populace that likes documentation or accountability, nor do we like to go by the letter and spirit of the law.

As this survey reflects, we have a general utter disregard for traffic laws, which also highlights lack of concern for human safety. This is evidenced by a question in the survey, which asked respondents to rank 10 preferences when purchasing a car. Fuel efficiency and value for money were the top-ranked considerations while safety features were all the way down at number nine. Our priorities are in question when we value saving money over riding our families around in safer cars. Let’s remember there is also little enforcement of regulations with regard to carseat belts. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, on average 15 people die in road accidents in the country on a daily basis. Our attitudes to driving and road safety represent a fatalistic mindset. It is this mindset that enables rash behaviour on the part of drivers. Sadly, it is extremely difficult to counter as it is deeply embedded in the national psyche.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2016.

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