In recent years, road safety has become a paramount concern in Pakistan. With an aim to avert or reduce traffic accidents and be responsible on roads, Chief Traffic police officer (CTO) Mustansar Feroze directed the implementation of the ‘zero-tolerance policy’ to curb traffic violations, particularly injury cases, which are often fatal.
In a recent tweet, Lahore traffic police revealed that the strategy has yielded promising results. The zero-tolerance policy has demonstrated a significant reduction in accidents, particularly head injury cases.
The Statistics
Comparing the statistics from this year to the previous year (2022), there was a notable decrease of over 600 head injury cases. This reduction can be directly attributed to the stricter enforcement of traffic rules and the imposition of penalties for violations.
ٹریفک قوانین پر زیرو ٹالرنس پالیسی کے مثبت اثرات.#PunjabPolicePakistan #lahore #awareness #safety #IGPunjab pic.twitter.com/0wlpsz8GHh
— Lahore Traffic Police (@ctplahore) August 23, 2023
In 2022, there were 2371 accidents resulting from U-turn violations, whereas the number stood at 1184 this year. Similarly, incidents related to one-way violations decreased from 951 cases in the previous year to 324 cases in 2023. This indicates the positive influence of the zero-tolerance policy in discouraging such dangerous behaviors.
Over-speeding has been a persistent issue contributing to accidents. However, with the implementation of the new policy, there was a significant drop in over-speeding-related accidents. In 2022, there were 3294 such accidents, down from 1721 this year.
The impact of this policy on citizens’ lives is profound. Over the course of the year, the policy saved the lives of 617 individuals who would have otherwise fallen victim to traffic violations. The Chief Traffic Officer emphasized that ensuring the safety of citizens, both in terms of life and property, remains a top priority.
The adoption of a zero-tolerance policy on traffic violations has proven to be a game-changer in reducing accidents and promoting responsible driving habits. The substantial decrease in head injury cases, incidents related to U-turns, one-way driving, and over-speeding accidents stands as a testament to the effectiveness of this approach.
