ISLAMABAD: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) still do not record the precise coordinates of road crashes [as well as most of the other Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC)].
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a report, “CAREC road crash investigation manual”, stated that the NHMP in Pakistan collects a number of variables on road crashes, including information related to the crash environment, the vehicles, and the persons involved.
The NHMP currently collects 31 variables related to road crashes. Most of them are coherent with the minimum set of variables recommended at the international level. Despite this, the NHMP still does not record the precise coordinates of road crashes (as well as most of the other CAREC countries).
The report recommended that standard definitions should be used for each variable at the national level and, to the extent possible, regional level to allow comparison between data collected by different agencies and between different countries, and to facilitate analysis. Their use is recommended in all CAREC countries. Crash-related variables include basic information about the crash, including the location, general dynamics, environmental conditions, and whether the crash resulted in injury or death.
This manual aims to improve procedures for collecting, investigating, and analysing crash data in the CAREC countries. It is intended for use by agencies in charge of collecting road crash data, such as police departments, the health sector, as well as all national government and non-government stakeholders who utilise these data.
The guidance provided in this manual aims to enhance these agencies’ data collection systems and support informed decision-making to improve road safety, and offers strategic recommendations based on globally recognised best practices. The manual focuses mainly on crashes with fatal and serious injuries (FSI), as they undermine the economic and social development of a country. According to estimates from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, they cost between three per cent and five per cent of countries’ gross domestic product.
Stressing the need for clear accident reporting and the maintenance of road safety databases, it shows how reliable data can support road safety education and advertising campaigns, strengthen traffic enforcement, and reduce crash casualties.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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