Citation

Lateef MU. Int. J. Inj. Control Safe. Promot. 2011; 18(2): 97-105.

Affiliation

Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Centre, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17457300.2010.490588

PMID

20589551

Abstract

This article aims to assess the pattern of road traffic injuries (RTIs) and fatalities in Karachi metropolis. Assessing the pattern of RTIs in Karachi at this juncture is important for many reasons. The rapid motorisation in the recent years due to the availability of credit has significantly increased the traffic volume of the city. Since then, the roads of Karachi have continuously developed at a rapid pace. This development has come with a high human loss, because the construction of multilevel flyovers, signal-free corridors and the resulting high-speed traffic ultimately increase the severity of injuries. The reasons for this high proportion are inadequate infrastructure, poor enforcement of safety regulations, high crash severity index and greater population of vulnerable road user groups (riders and pedestrians). This research is the first of its kind in the country to have a geocoded database of fatalities and injuries in a geographical information system for the entire city of Karachi. In fact, road crashes are both predictable and preventable. Developing countries should learn from the experience of highly motorised nations to avoid the high burden of RTIs by adopting road safety and prevention measures.

Language: en