National Road Safety Secretariat

M i n i s t r y o f C o m m u n ic a t i o n s G o v e r n m e n t of P a k is t a n

ROAD SAFETY IN PAKISTAN

June 21st, 2007

by:

Aizaz Ahmed, PE, PTOE

ROAD SAFETY IN PAKISTAN

AIZAZ AHMED, PE, PTOE1

Preamble
Everyone recognizes that, in today s world, transportation is a key element of the global economy. It has changed the face of employment, trade, family life and health care, bringing benefits that were unimaginable 100 years ago. However, the price we are paying in form of road crash mortality and morbidity for such benefits is too high. The shock and grief these events cause are all too well-known throughout the world. Their impact is particularly higher in poorer countries, where 90% of the road fatalities occur. Pakistan have large road network of 259, 758km of which 8,318km are National Highway and 2,027km are Motorways. The National Highway pass through major cities are backbone of our economy. Asian Highway Network length in Pakistan is 4964km. Road crashes are among leading causes of death and injury worldwide. Thousands of people die on the Pakistan s roads every year. We are not talking about random events or accidents , we are talking about road crashes. Road traffic injuries cause emotional, physical and economic burden. In developing country like Pakistan, the poor are disproportionately affected, with most of the victims being pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclists and passenger of public transport riders and with more than half of them between ages of 15 to 44 years. Young road users are particularly more vulnerable. Road traffic deaths and injuries affect us all. Road accidents are always a human tragedy. But the tragedy is greatest when children are involved. Road traffic crashes (RTC) are a huge burden on economy of countries particularly for low and middle income countries. The economic cost of road crashes and injuries is estimated to be over 100 billion rupees for Pakistan. However, the loss is more than just numbers, as road traffic injuries push many families more deeply into poverty by the loss of their breadwinners and inflict a tremendous continuous burden on the disabled victims and their families; and on health care system. Pakistan has spent $0.07 per capita (0.015% of GDP/capita) on road safety in 1998 whereas, Road safety spending comprises a greater share of public spending in countries such as the United Kingdom (population 56 million) where the government spends roughly 1 billion per year (1980 prices) on road safety2..

1Executive

Director, National Road Safety Secretariat House No.312, Main Maragalla Road, F-10/3 Islamabad. 2Rates of public investment for road safety in developing countries: case studies of Uganda and Pakistan, Research Report by Health Policy and Planning 18(2), doi: 10.1093/heapol/czg02 Oxford University Press 2003

Road Safety can not be improved without deliberate and sustained actions utilizing a systematic approach. The risks can be understood and therefore can be prevented. 1.0 National Trends in Road Crashes

In Pakistan 10,125 crashes were reported to police including 4193 fatal cases in 20063. However, this should be noted here that these are reported crashes and fatalities; and not the total number of crashes and fatalities due to RTCs. The above mentioned road crash Reported Fatal and Non-Fatal Crashes In Pakistan

18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0

Fatal and Non-Fatal C rashes

Source: National Police Bureau

NH&MP covers 35% (1742km) of the Asian Highway Network (4964km). According to NH&MP 1.26 causalities per kilometer and 0.30 fatalities per kilometer were reported on Asian highway network in Pakistan. Statistics for Pakistan are based on the data provided by Police agencies which is highly under reported. According to Finnroad OY, less then 10% of the RTCs are reported in Pakistan. This trend has also been substantiated by another study done in Karachi which estimated that while police records identified a large number of deaths(56%), most of the

Statistics by National Police Bureau, 2006

severe injuries(18 out of 19) remained unaccounted for4. To get better understanding of extent of underreporting we compared the crash statistics obtained from police and health sector. Last year in Karachi 16825 RTC injuries were reported to police (FIR based data). However, a research project which is currently underway in collaboration with Jinnah Post Medical College (JPMC) and NED engineering university, revealed 93586 RTC injury cases were admitted in five hospitals of Karachi during last four month of the same year. Considering culture and health sector practices in Pakistan, it is safe to assume that those 9358 cases represent fatal and serious injury crashes only. Minor Injury Crashes and Property Damage Only (PDO) are typically not reported in Pakistan. Assuming equal distribution of police data over 12 month period, police data hardly represents 6 % of fatal & serious injury crash data. NRSS is currently collecting data from health sector and so far NRSS has received data form 14 district hospitals out of 112 districts and it reflects that fatalities plus serious injuries are 2.70 per 1000 population. If we apply this rate to the current population, projected fatalities plus serious injuries for Pakistan are over 400,000 (418,611) which shows that police were reporting less than 2.5% of all motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries. National Injury Survey of Pakistan results estimated that the incidence of RTI was 15.0 (including minor injuries also) per 1000 person per year. Using these figures, the estimated motor vehicle injuries in 2006 were about 2 Million, which showed that police were reporting less than 1% of all motor vehicle injuries. Regional comparison with other Asian countries revealed that reported fatalities in Pakistan are 4.5 times less than in other countries7. Currently Pakistan has not established any centralized data bank which keep record of all the crashes, but establishment of Road Safety Data Bank covering all the aspects on as aggregated/disaggregated basis with a mechanism for updating the data base on a regular basis and to compile and analyze national statistics, and ensure that the comprehensive data exist for road safety planning is one of highest priority of NRSS. 2.0 Motorization in Pakistan

There has been tremendous growth in the automobile sector in the past five years. Vehicle production, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, buses and other commercial vehicles, has sky rocketed from 195,791 units in 2001-02 to 998,592 units in 2005-06 (Increase by 410%). Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles have seen substantial growth; from 50,000 units per/year have grown to about 200,000 units/year (Increase by

NAP-NCD ATLAS, National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Promotion in Pakistan By, Heart File 5 Karachi Traffic Police 6 JPMC 7 Road Traffic Injuries in Pakistan, Trends, Causes, and Policy Implications(NIRC), Health Services Academy, MOH, GOP
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300%). Motorcycles have had the highest growth, increasing from 120,000 to 750,000 units/year (Increase by 525%)8. This upsurge has resulted due to good macro economic fundamentals, the advent of car financing which has made purchasing of cars more affordable and increases in per capita income. As the economic development take place, the demand for mobility and vehicles increases. Despite of this rapid growth, Motorization in Pakistan is in the lowest quartile. Actually we are in the pre-motorization stage in Pakistan where 8 people out of a 1000 have cars.

3.0

Pakistan Road Safety Issues

Based on discussion with stakeholder throughout the Pakistan, NRSS has identified following issues related to road safety:3.1 Institutional Issue Lack of coordination, cooperation, collaboration among safety stakeholders is identified as leading barrier for institutional capacity building. Currently there is no formal coordination and data sharing among agencies on road safety. Insufficient allocation of financial and human resources to road safety program.

Indus Motor presentation at National Road Safety Conference, Karachi.

 Lack of Institutional capacity in Road Safety and Road Safety Champions within highway agencies. Unavailability of trained Traffic Operation Engineers and Road Safety Auditors. Lack of training and educational opportunities to road safety professional. Dependency on high cost international Consultants which limits the opportunities for road safety improvements. Most critical of the above is lack of Road Safety Champions within highway agencies. This is the first step in building the institutional capacity for road safety. 3.2 Road Users Issues Pedestrians prefer J-waking due to lack of any rules. Most of children walk to school unaccomplished by an adult. The existing regulations do not allow challan of pedestrians for their unsafe practices. Legislation/rules need to be made to regulate pedestrian traffic. Law for helmet usage is present but its compliance is low. Based on interview of some young motorcyclists, it was learnt that warm weather and view restriction are among the reason for low compliance of helmet use. Motorist generally do not wear seat belt. There is currently no legislation mandating it. Motorway police and Islamabad traffic police has started awareness campaigns related to seat belt. Most of the vehicles plying on road are old and not equipped with the seat belts. Pedestrians walking on road under dark condition do not pay any attention to make them visible. Use of cell phone while driving, walking and even motor-biking is increasing day by day. It s not mandatory to keep motorbike front-light on during the day. Public and traffic police in general are not aware of this safety measure. No government school has adopted road safety in their curriculum. However few privately managed school have included safety education in curricula.. 3.3 Public Transportations Issues Upto 20 years old buses are plying on our roadway. Shortage of public transportation is causing overloading of Public vehicles. Lack of government run public transportation has resulted into many small transportation companies and those are difficult to regulate. 3.4 Road Infrastructure Issues Road side hazards is big issue in Pakistan because there is no established Safety Design Standards. Work Zones are poorly designed and MPT devices used does not meet the international standards. There is no pay item for MPT in the construction contracts.

 There is no policy on U-Turns. The illegal U-Turns made by the business owners are causing road crashes. Underpass chocked during rain making them unusable. Parking spaces are not available in the major cities, leading to congestion and road crashes due to unauthorized parked vehicles. The driver expectancy has been arisen due to better designed and built motorways which creates safety problem on road network other than motorway. There is no QC/QA mechanism in place for road safety design.

3.5

Vehicle Safety Issues Illegal fabrication of Bedford truck to increase its load carrying capacity. The over loading of the trucks, which are not designed for that amount of load, cause severe damage to roads resulting in rutting of roads and creates safety problems. This also cause the overloaded trucks to move very slow on the upgrade roads, causing disturbance in the traffic flow and sometimes result in road crashes. Illegal High intensity lights are being used by the drivers, which are a cause of glare and crashes during night time. Although fog lights are available in some of the new vehicles, drivers are not aware of their proper use and crashes which can be avoided, happen. Vehicle safety inspection is performed only on public transportation vehicles and that is also limited to visual inspection.

3.6

Legislation /Regulation Issues Highway Ordinance and Motor vehicle Ordinance along with their rules need be consolidated in one document. Safety Ordinance yet have to be adopted by the provincial governments and rules have to be formulated. Many fatal crashes occurred due to falling of unsecured container on passer by vehicle. However, there is no legislation for securing cargo container on trailers and to bring those responsible for this criminal act to justice. Most of the drivers who are involved in serious road crashes escape criminal and civil penalties. Crash victims and their relatives are generally not aware of their legal rights/compensation. Current provision of compensation under Fatal Accident Act, 1855 and Section 67 of Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1965 are outdated and needs to be reviewed according to current scenarios. Enhancement of compensation rate is currently being reviewed by MOC. Current fine structure is not helpful in changing the driver behavior because the traffic violation fines are too low. For instance, the minimum fine for a traffic violation is Rs. 50/- and maximum fine is Rs. 300/- in Punjab. The third party vehicle insurance is mostly fake. Furthermore, it only covers the passengers inside the vehicle, not even the passengers of other vehicle involved in the crash.
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3.7

Hospital/Emergency Response Issues State of the art trauma centers are generally not available in Pakistan. With exception to Lahore City, there is no government or hospital based ambulance service for crash incidents response. When comes to rescue services, the Model Emergency Rescue Service Medical Service, Punjab Emergency and Ambulance Service (Rescue 1122), and the National Highway and Motorway Police came first. Typically no advance information of crash victim is received in hospitals from first responder to the scene. EDHI ambulance is a major source of crash victims transportation to hospitals in Karachi. EDHI and other similar organizations merely provide transportation service as their ambulances are not well equipped and typically staff is not trained to provide basic life support. Growing congestion in urban area causes delay in patient transportation to hospital. Currently there is no capacity of air transportation of seriously injured in both public and private hospitals with exception to military hospitals. Issues like availability of helicopter in the area, construction of helipad in hospitals, training of traffic police in managing traffic during helicopter operation needs attention.

4.0

Actions taken by GOP

National Road Safety Secretariat (NRSS) was established in September, 2006 as lead road safety agency under the auspices of Ministry of Communications (MOC) to work on permanent footing. This secretariat is mandated to develop & undertake multi-sectoral road Safety projects & implement initiatives established by the high level constituted National Road Safety Council. Primarily, NRSS aimed to take preventive and curative measures for road safety. To meet the first year expense, seed money of Dolor $ 0.22 (million) was allocated by the World Bank through NHIP program. NRSS is developing Pakistan s first ever National Road Safety Plan which is expected to be finalized and adopted by fall of this year. Draft National Transportation policy has been prepared by NTRC which also has a section on road safety. NRSS will also develop institutional capacity building at national level. A Road Safety Plan has been prepared in October 2005 for the rural Sindh by Road Sector Development Directorate (RSDD), Works & Services Department, Government of Sindh. The prime objective of the Road Safety Plan is to create a capable and a functioning road safety organization within the Road Sector Development Directorate of the WSD, Sindh. Other aims are to create awareness amongst stakeholders and road users in improving road safety through campaigns and educational programs as well as to strengthen the capacity and technical capability to record accurate road crash data in Sindh and to mobilize both public and private partners to constitute sustainable road safety working bodies at all levels of the society. RSDD through ADB financing is currently in process of implementing several road safety initiatives including road safety education.

The National Highway and Motorway was established using a scientific management approach, drawing on human resources development models to create the desired organizational culture, policing practices and performance management systems. At present, the National Highways and Motorways Police is deployed on 2,210km of National highways and 575km of motorways. Whereas, NH&MP is planning to take over N-25 RCD Highway 813km (Karachi-Chaman) and rest of N-10 Costal Highway 653 km. The ultimate target of NH&MP is to take over entire highways and motorways in phased program. NH&MP is also providing emergency patrolling services on 455km of the Asian Highway Network. The initiative has been highly successful and significant reductions have been achieved in crash deaths and injuries and road related crime, in the highway and motorway corridors where it is operational. It has also been successful in eliminating any related corruption associated with road policing on a substantial basis. Beside enforcement activities, the NH&MP is also engaged in road safety education activities through electronic as well as print media, by conducting seminars, workshops and road safety walks. Recently Pakistan has celebrated the United Nation Global Road Safety Week, 23-29th April, 2007 at national level to create awareness among road users and NH&MP played a key role in organizing seminars and road safety awareness events throughout the country. Main reasons for its success is depart from the hard policing which remind people of colonial time and providing friendly service and equal application of law on all. Also gap between job expectancy and achievement was reduced to prepare a motivated work force When comes to Rescue services The Model Emergency Rescue Service Medical Service, Punjab Emergency and Ambulance Service (Rescue 1122), and the National Highway and Motorway Police has demonstrated their ability to deliver services at international standards. Both of these programs are of great relevance to the rest of Pakistan, to improve road policing and rescue services. The model Emergency Rescue Medical Service is the first trained and equipped emergency rescue service established in Pakistan which meets international standards. An average response time of less then seven minutes to attend reported incidents is being achieved, which is record performance for a city of seven million people. It has been collecting data since their establishment. They have responded to approximately 40,000 emergencies, out of which approximately 50% are road crashes. The benefits accruing to this service, in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality are substantial. Both programs are resource intensive, but highly beneficial, and both could be further rolled out countrywide to achieve further road safety gains. In Punjab Traffic Warden Program has been introduced in five big cities. 2800 traffic wardens are now present on roads to control the traffic system. ITP is working to streamline licensing issuance procedure and has developed education program for drivers. World Bank and Asian Development Bank has funded several transportation projects in Pakistan and each of these projects has road safety component but there is no exclusive project for road safety in Pakistan, even NRSS establishment is part of the safety component of the N-5 project (NHIP Program).

NRSS plan to form Stakeholder committee to engage private sector in road safety. Road Safety is a multi-sectoral issue and all sectors including health, education and communication need to be fully engaged in activities and advocacy for road accident injury prevention. NRSS will work with all road safety stakeholders including public agencies, NGOs, insurance and vehicle manufacturing industry to prepare a comprehensive road safety plan. Priority targeted areas for road safety in Pakistan are: 5.0 Institutional capacity building Development of National Road Safety Databank Motorcycle Safety Pedestrian/Bike safety Roadside design Road safety Audits Pre-hospital care Training and education of commercial drivers Development of National Road Safety Fund

Establishment of Road Safety Fund

Road Safety can not be improved without deliberate and sustained actions. In Pakistan the funding problem seems to be the most difficult one to overcome and needs to be tackled first. Without a stable and sufficient flow of funds for road safety, any attempt to solve institutional problems is bound to fail. Therefore, it is necessary to establish national road safety funds that are run like a business and financed through road user charges. The character of such road safety funds should be: 6.0 Sound legal basis with a road safety fund administration and clear rules and regulations. String oversight by a board with qualified and powerful members from the private and public sector and representing all important groups with vested interest in road safety. Revenue incremental to the public budgets and coming from charges related to road use and channeled directly to the national road safety fund bank account. Sound financial management systems with lean efficient administrative structure. Regular technical and financial audits.

Agenda for Road Safety in Pakistan

Government of Pakistan is considering following actions in the forthcoming road safety plan:1. Road Safety be listed among high priority program at National level as it is a major socioeconomic issue and directly relates with the poverty level in the county.
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2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

Sustained political will and ownership at the highest level be required for the success of the program. Establishment of National Road Safety Fund to ensure implementation of Road Safety Plan and Programs. Effective and functional institutional framework be built to develop and implement polices. An ambitious but realistic targets be set-up in form of safety goals to achieve measurable outcomes. Whereas, policy formulation & implementation is to remain a continues process. Magnitude of problems encompassing institutional arrangement and capacity be recognized. Institutions to be restructured and bottlenecks be removed to achieve the road safety targets. NRSS be established on permanent basis to regulate resources and to coordinate road safety efforts at national level. Adequate resource be provided to ensure its sustainability. Organizational set-up be extended upto district level to achieve targeted goals, to translate & implement policy and to coordinate activity at grass root level. Source of data provision be identified and its accuracy & consistency for documentation be ensured. Information system be cost effective and of standardized; useful for all decision makers. Policy guidelines in collaboration of Provincial Government be developed and duplicate efforts in various department be identified & removed. RSA should be made mandatory for all projects costing RS. 10 Million or more and develop training program for RSA. A monitory organization be designated to perform Quality Assurance/Quality Control on major RSAs. Traffic Engineering and Road Safety Courses should be taught both at undergraduate and graduate level in Pakistan universities. Establish Traffic Engineering & Safety Directorate within public highway agencies to take responsibility for the safety and operational aspects of the road network. Such directorate monitors the network and identifies congested or unsafe locations for improvement. In doing so, they often build up unique insights into the range of circumstances that can contribute to road crashes. Develop National Policy on Road Safety covering both preventive and post-crash aspects. Road Safety should be introduced in School Curricula. Road Safety Park should be established in major cities to educate children, about the aspects of road safety. Mass Public Transit System such as Light Rail and/or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) be introduced in major cities such as Karachi and Lahore. Uniform vehicle inspection centers for the public service vehicles be established around the country. Speed Monitoring device be installed in public transportation buses and concept of self enforcement among private transporter be introduced. In urban areas particularly in major cities congestion management program be developed. Separate lane for motorcyclist be considered in urban arteries where motorcycle volume represents grater share in traffic mix. Centralized licensing system should be introduced initially at provincial level.
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23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 7.0

An Incident Management Center with state of the art communication facilities be established in major cities. Satellite Resuscitation (Life Support) Center be established along major highways in different hotels or in Mobile Units equipped with all first aid treatment including breathing, respiration, circulation & Automatic Electric Deforgments. Spinal Board made with Fiber Glass should be made a requirement for ambulance services for transportation of injured patient. Hospital should be required to maintain ambulance fleet size along with trained crew and necessary equipment, compatible with their coverage area needs and be mandated to respond to road crash incidents. Emergency rooms should be provided security means to all Emergency Response staff to perform their function smoothly. Considering growing congestion on urban streets, air transportation of seriously injured be considered. Conclusion

Road safety crisis needs to be fully recognized and all public agencies as well as private sectors need to play their role in strengthening road safety. Appropriate resources be allocated to improve safety which is currently far below than the magnitude of problem. Road traffic crashes are predictable and therefore preventable. In order to combat the problem, there is a needs for close coordination and collaboration, using a holistic and integrated approach, across many sectors and many disciplines. National Road Safety Secretariat structure be extended upto district level to achieve road safety objectives at grass root level. Transportation agencies in Pakistan are facing severe funding and professional capacity constraints. Just policy formulation is not sufficient to achieve the desired goal of reducing road deaths and injuries in the country, unless backed by financial support for its implementation. While there are many interventions that can save lives and limbs, sustained political will and commitment along with establishment of National Road Safety Fund are essential without that little could be achieved. Road users in Pakistan deserve better and safer road travel. Establishment of NRSS as the lead agency in Road Safety is commendable action by Ministry of Communications. Support of Government of Pakistan and International donors/lenders agencies is very vital for the success of Pakistan Road Safety Program. References The World Report on Traffic Injury Prevention, 2004 Youth and Road Safety, World Health Organization, 2007 Transport Notes, Implementation the recommendations of the World Report on Traffic Injury Prevention, Tony Bliss, World Bank. National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and Heath Promotion In Pakistan. Indus Motor, Karachi
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 Road Traffic Injuries in Pakistan, Trends, Causes, and Policy Implications National Injury Research Center (NIRC), Health Services Academy, MOH National Police Bureau Statistics, 2006.

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STATUS OF ROAD SAFETY IN PAKISTAN

Year 2004 2004 2004 2004 GDP [Billion US$] Population [Million] GDP per capita [US$]

P A K I S T A N
131.5 Billion 155.37 Million 847 US$ 45,107,882 50.07%

Registered Motor Vehicles [1,000] Two and three wheelers [% of all vehicles] Vehicles [per 1,000 people] Deaths[Police-reported] Injuries[Police reported] Annual losses[Million US$] Annual losses [% of GDP] Overall National Trends

2004 2006 2006 2004 2004

34.003 4971 10,378 2000 Million US$ 1.5%

2006 2006 2006

Accidents [Police-reported] Deaths[Police-reported] Injuries[Police reported] Pedestrian Fatalities Motorcyclist deaths Children Fatalities (less than five years)

10125 4971 10,378

N.A 1.102

2006

Fatalities per 10,000 vehicles

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2006 2006

Pedestrian deaths [% of the total] Motorcyclist death [% of the total] Government Policy National Road Safety Policy/ Strategy

43.01%* 32.05%*

2006

NRSS is developing Pakistan s first ever National Road Safety Plan which is expected to be finalized and adopted by fall of this year. Draft National Transportation policy has been prepared by NTRC.

2007

Plan of Action, Priority Areas Institutional capacity building Development of National Road Safety Databank Motorcycle Safety Pedestrian/Bike safety Roadside design Road safety Audits Pre-hospital care Training and education of commercial drivers Development of National Road Safety Fund.

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2006

Designated lead Agency Financial resources allocated

National Road Safety Secretariat World Bank and Asian Development Bank has funded several transportation projects in Pakistan and some of these projects has road safety component but there is no exclusive project for road safety in Pakistan. GOP, International donors/lenders e.g. World Bank, ADB etc. International Consultants, Expatriates for road safety.

Source of Finance

Human Resource allocated National or Impact Evaluation Reports Overall targets Private Sector Involvement Road Users Helmet and seat-belt wearing Always on Motorbike front-Lights

NRSS plan to form Stakeholder Committee

Law for helmet usage is present but its compliance is low. As far as seat-belt is concerned there is no law. No

Child restraints School curriculum Drinking and driving

No Only in some of the private schools. No survey has been conducted.

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Roads Black-spot program and hazardous location improvement Road Safety Audit Separate road space for pedestrians Separate road space cyclists Forgiving roads Vehicles Number of motorized vehicles [1,000] Cars [% of total] Buses [% of total] Trucks[% of total] Two and three- wheelers [% of total] Technical safety requirements Periodic inspection Systems and cooperation National Database

Not a formal program Planning Stage No (only in urban areas) No No 45, 1086

2004

2004 2004 2004 2004

17.25% 2.90% 3.27% 51.23% No Vehicle safety inspection is performed only on public transportation vehicles and that is also limited to visual inspection.

Establishment of Road Safety Data Bank is one of highest priority of NRSS. No No Roadside Testing Available on Motorways (NH&MP, Rescue only in Lahore)

Accident location information Alcohol tests Emergency assistance

Based on Karachi, Pakistan Statistics

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