Traffic collisions in Pakistan are among the highest in the world, with thousands of lives lost and many severely injured each year.[2] In 2021 alone, 10,379 road accidents resulted in some 5,608 fatalities.[3] Former Minister of Communications, Murad Saeed, stated that "in Pakistan, a person is killed or severely injured in a road accident every five minutes."[4] Pakistan also ranks first in Asia for most deaths caused by traffic accidents.[5][6] Additionally, Karachi also ranks 4th globally for cities with the highest road accident fatalities.[5][7] Major causes include reckless driving, poor road conditions, and inadequate traffic management.
Statistics
edit| Year | Total Number of Accidents | Accident | Persons | Total Number of Vehicles Involved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non-Fatal | Killed | Injured | |||
| 2006-07 | 10,466 | 4,535 | 5,931 | 5,465 | 12,875 | 11,481 |
| 2007-08 | 10,466 | 4,610 | 5,856 | 5,615 | 12,096 | 11,456 |
| 2008-09 | 9,496 | 4,145 | 5,351 | 4,907 | 11,037 | 10,322 |
| 2009-10 | 9,747 | 4,378 | 5,369 | 5,280 | 11,173 | 10,496 |
| 2010-11 | 9,723 | 4,280 | 5,443 | 5,271 | 11,383 | 10,822 |
| 2011-12 | 9,140 | 3,966 | 5,174 | 4,758 | 10,145 | 9,986 |
| 2012-13 | 8,988 | 3,884 | 5,104 | 4,719 | 9,710 | 9,876 |
| 2013-14 | 8,359 | 3,500 | 4,859 | 4,348 | 9,777 | 9,423 |
| 2014-15 | 7,865 | 3,214 | 4,651 | 3,954 | 9,661 | 8,949 |
| 2015-16 | 9,100 | 3,591 | 5,509 | 4,448 | 11,544 | 10,636 |
| 2016-17 | 9,582 | 4,036 | 5,546 | 5,047 | 12,696 | 11,317 |
| 2017-18 | 11,121 | 4,829 | 6,292 | 5,948 | 14,489 | 13,134 |
| 2018-19 | 10,779 | 4,878 | 5,901 | 5,932 | 13,219 | 12,908 |
| 2019-20 | 9,701 | 4,397 | 5,298 | 5,436 | 12,317 | 12,894 |
Traffic Accidents by Province
editPunjab had maximum and Balochistan had minimum ratio of traffic accidents from year 2000 to 2010 as compared to other provinces of Pakistan.[8]
Islamabad Capital Territory
editSource:[9]
| Year | Total Number of Accidents | Accident | Persons | Total Number of Vehicles Involved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non-Fatal | Killed | Injured | |||
| 2012-13 | 201 | 107 | 94 | 109 | 180 | 212 |
| 2013-14 | 256 | 120 | 136 | 132 | 206 | 256 |
| 2014-15 | 216 | 107 | 109 | 118 | 182 | 217 |
| 2015-16 | 244 | 120 | 124 | 140 | 209 | 244 |
Sindh
editSource:[10]
| Year | Total Number of Accidents | Accident | Persons | Total Number of Vehicles Involved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non-Fatal | Killed | Injured | |||
| 2006-07 | 1618 | 932 | 686 | 1089 | 1303 | 1758 |
| 2007-08 | 1561 | 898 | 663 | 1066 | 1135 | 1722 |
| 2008-09 | 1433 | 824 | 609 | 961 | 1160 | 1562 |
| 2009-10 | 1465 | 883 | 582 | 1031 | 1261 | 1580 |
| 2010-11 | 1270 | 758 | 512 | 927 | 1071 | 1541 |
| 2011-12 | 1054 | 681 | 373 | 756 | 681 | 1121 |
| 2012-13 | 935 | 582 | 353 | 696 | 637 | 960 |
| 2013-14 | 945 | 613 | 332 | 791 | 893 | 1103 |
| 2014-15 | 881 | 583 | 291 | 771 | 863 | 1029 |
| 2015-16 | 924 | 634 | 290 | 749 | 754 | 1144 |
Punjab
editSource:[11]
| Year | Total Number of Accidents | Accident | Persons | Total Number of Vehicles Involved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non-Fatal | Killed | Injured | |||
| 2006-07 | 5355 | 2591 | 2764 | 3096 | 6311 | 5355 |
| 2007-08 | 5522 | 2721 | 2801 | 3293 | 6163 | 5522 |
| 2008-09 | 5240 | 2471 | 2801 | 3293 | 6163 | 5522 |
| 2009-10 | 5344 | 2590 | 2754 | 3083 | 5856 | 5344 |
| 2010-11 | 5420 | 2591 | 2829 | 3167 | 5809 | 5420 |
| 2011-12 | 4990 | 2361 | 2629 | 2888 | 5071 | 4990 |
| 2012-13 | 4587 | 2213 | 2374 | 2692 | 4515 | 4587 |
| 2013-14 | 3696 | 1717 | 1979 | 2145 | 3941 | 3696 |
| 2014-15 | 3054 | 1435 | 1619 | 1750 | 3652 | 3054 |
| 2015-16 | 3288 | 1576 | 1712 | 2053 | 4550 | 3288 |
KPK
editSource:[12]
| Year | Total Number of Accidents | Accident | Persons | Total Number of Vehicles Involved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non-Fatal | Killed | Injured | |||
| 2006-07 | 2942 | 779 | 2163 | 1006 | 4421 | 3756 |
| 2007-08 | 2893 | 755 | 2138 | 942 | 3884 | 3634 |
| 2008-09 | 2392 | 644 | 1748 | 786 | 3340 | 2975 |
| 2009-10 | 2559 | 712 | 1847 | 921 | 3560 | 3128 |
| 2010-11 | 2722 | 773 | 1949 | 986 | 4153 | 3479 |
| 2011-12 | 2772 | 785 | 1987 | 953 | 3913 | 2501 |
| 2012-13 | 2986 | 846 | 2122 | 1059 | 4016 | 3736 |
| 2013-14 | 3120 | 877 | 2243 | 1033 | 4257 | 3934 |
| 2014-15 | 3399 | 942 | 2457 | 1137 | 4524 | 4260 |
| 2015-16 | 4287 | 1083 | 3204 | 1299 | 5527 | 5490 |
Balochistan
editSource:[13]
| Year | Total Number of Accidents | Accident | Persons | Total Number of Vehicles Involved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non-Fatal | Killed | Injured | |||
| 2006-07 | 551 | 233 | 318 | 284 | 840 | 612 |
| 2007-08 | 490 | 236 | 254 | 314 | 914 | 278 |
| 2008-09 | 431 | 206 | 225 | 248 | 747 | 545 |
| 2009-10 | 379 | 193 | 186 | 245 | 496 | 444 |
| 2010-11 | 311 | 158 | 153 | 191 | 350 | 382 |
| 2011-12 | 324 | 139 | 185 | 161 | 480 | 374 |
| 2012-13 | 297 | 136 | 161 | 163 | 362 | 381 |
| 2013-14 | 342 | 173 | 169 | 247 | 480 | 434 |
| 2014-15 | 315 | 147 | 168 | 178 | 440 | 389 |
| 2015-16 | 357 | 178 | 179 | 207 | 504 | 470 |
Most Common Vehicles involved in Road Accidents in Pakistan[14]
Economic cost
editA study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimated that Road accidents in Pakistan resulted in $5.4 billion in losses in 2015 alone.[15] According to a 2018 report of Ministry of Communications, Pakistan incurs an annual loss of approximately $9 billion due to road traffic accidents.[16]
Contributing factors
editThe primary causes of these accidents are irresponsible road behaviours, such as jaywalking, speeding, running red lights, and driving on wet roads. Poor road condition also contribute significantly, leading to moderate to severe injuries. Many roads in Pakistan are poorly maintained, with potholes, cracks, and inadequate lighting, making nighttime driving especially hazardous.[17]
Road safety measures
editNational Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030)
editThe Ministry of Communication, in collaboration with ADB and the UK Department for International Development, launched "The Pakistan National Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030)." This strategy builds on the foundation of the first National Road Safety Plan for Motorways and National Highways (2017–2018) and expands its focus to cover all road networks and user groups across Pakistan.[18][4] It sets key priorities for initiatives aimed at saving over 6,000 lives by 2030. To ensure effective implementation, a series of action plans aligned with the government's planning cycle will be developed, beginning with the National Road Safety Action Plan (2020–2024). Each plan will address current road safety trends, emerging issues, and priorities, outlining detailed actions to be taken.[19]
National Road Safety Action Plan (2020–2024)
editThe Action Plan is one of two national initiatives designed to support Pakistan's National Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030). Developed in collaboration with ADB and key federal and provincial government agencies responsible for transport, road safety, traffic enforcement, and post-crash response, the plan aims to address critical road safety issues. It received support and endorsement from the National Steering Committee for Road Safety Actions during its 4th meeting, held on 26 February 2020.[20]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ The following groupings/assumptions were made:
- France includes the overseas departments as well as overseas collectivities.
- The United Kingdom includes the Crown dependencies as well as the overseas territories.
- The United States of America includes the insular areas.
- The Netherlands includes Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.
- Denmark includes Greenland and the Faroe islands.
- China includes the SARs of Hong Kong and Macao.
References
edit- ^ "Estimated road traffic death rate (per 100 000 population)". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Editorial (17 August 2022). "Deadly accidents". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Fatal road accidents". The Express Tribune. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ a b Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (16 November 2018). "Government launches road safety strategy". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Pakistan reports most road accident deaths in Asia: report". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ press.release (21 February 2019). "'Pakistan ranks first in Asia for most deaths caused by traffic accidents'". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (22 February 2019). "Karachi ranks fourth in road accident deaths in world, moot told". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "PROVISIONAL ANALYSIS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN PAKISTAN".
- ^ "Islamabad". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Sindh". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Punjab". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "KPK". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Balochistan". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Muhammad K, Shaikh S, Ashraf J, Hayat S (2022). "Cause of Road Traffic Injuries and Road traffic accidents". Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences. 38.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Xahra, Rubab (27 May 2023). "The Deadly Costs of Ignoring Crash Safety in Pakistan". CarSpiritPK. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Zaman, Dr Muhammad (19 January 2023). "Cost of road crashes". Road Safety. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Road accidents and traffic issues in Pakistan". 25 June 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Govt launches first 'National Road Safety Strategy'". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Shehryar, Ahmad (16 November 2018). "Pakistan's first National Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030) launched by Murad Saeed". PakWheels Blog. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "NTU supports National Road Safety meeting in Pakistan". www.ntu.eu. Retrieved 29 July 2024.