Road safety

Whenever you switch on the TV, there will always be some news pertaining to road accidents in some part of Pakistan. Too many people lose their lives as a result of speeding, mechanical failures, vehicles turning turtle due to overloading and at times due to poor conditions of the roads/highways. However, we always fail to mention the role of the state in all these accidents. It's the responsibility of the state to ensure that all roads are in good condition for safe driving. Most of the traffic accidents occur due to poor maintenance of roads. Also all vehicles should be required to pass an MOT (Mechanical Order Test) on change of ownership or every three months. In Australia the owner has to get a ' pink slip' from a registered mechanic every year, to certify that his vehicle is technically in good running condition. Some foolproof system should also be in place to ensure that overloaded vehicles are kept off the roads.

Strict implementation of the above measures by the state can certainly help keep vehicles in good running condition and thus help reduce serious road accidents. Almost all the developed countries have strictly enforced the above rules. Why can't we do the same in our country? Why blame the poor drivers all the time and absolve the state of any responsibility?

Cdre (r) Sajjad Ali Shah Bokhari

Islamabad