Drive safe

As I set off for my parents’ home on a Sunday morning, my two-year-old daughter reminded me: “Baba, wear your seat belt.”

I feel great satisfaction when my children, in almost every single trip, recall driving rules and ethics – drilled into their brains through years of strenuous parenting – and help me become a better driver every passing day.

However, even ethical and careful driving can’t save one from road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Karachi, because others continue to flout traffic rules. And this is exactly what I experienced later that day: a legal overtake only to find a commuter driving the wrong (our) way on a divided road. That too, in the fast lane. Bang! It was a head-on collision, in which my wife received a head injury.

Seeing their mother’s bloodied face, my children burst into tears. Despite this, the other driver, clearly at fault, showed no empathy for our plight. He snatched my keys and demanded that I pay for damaging his car. He certainly didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that driving on the wrong side of the road is punishable with a fine of Rs500 and three months’ imprisonment in the case of an accident or causing an injury.

Though a serious offence, wrong-way driving continues unabated throughout the city. Even the ‘educated’ are guilty of it at times. Passing any school, college or university during peak traffic hours will prove that.

These shortcuts by some can turn into a nightmare for others. Little wonder then, that the victims of RTAs in the country far exceed those of terrorism. A mere look at Karachi’s statistics alone shows how alarming the situation is.

Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Centre reported 24,360 RTAs resulting in 1,067 deaths and 30,274 injuries in Karachi last year. This translates into 65 accidents a day or more than one person dying every 12 hours – and these are only the reported figures.

With Karachi set to become the world’s second largest city in 15 years, the traffic situation is only going to get worse. It is about time we decided what kind of Karachi we want for our children – the least we can do is drive safely and let others be safe.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th,  2015.