Daily Times

We, the Pakistanis, are a resilient people. We have, by large, a deep rooted faith in God and his protection, regardless of our follies and foolhardiness. I guess that keeping in mind the uncertain circumstances and the security issues, it is a good thing; I often think that the Americans went to pieces over one 9/11, we as a nation have had to suffer many and yet the threat of many more to come.

We, by a sizeable majority, are downright dismissive of safety precautions in almost all spheres of life. There are quite a number of things we loathe to do, wearing helmets whilst driving and riding a motorcycle being one, and wearing seatbelts in a car being the other.

Every other day, we either read in the newspapers or hear it on the television that the Punjab traffic police is active, yet again, in enforcing wearing a helmet whilst on the bike. Contrary to popular belief, wearing of helmets was not made mandatory in the recent years; the law was amended in 1978 and reads:

“No person shall drive, or ride the pillion seat of, a two-wheeled motor vehicle except when he is wearing a crash helmet.”

Helmets are not only necessary for the driver but also for the pillion rider, and according to the law there can only be one person riding the pillion. Well, anyone who lives in Lahore or Punjab for that matter can bear testament to the fact that there have never been more than two people on any motorbike that he has seen! And whilst doing this, this particular someone or anyone or everyone can also affirm, that the Punjab’s traffic police has the perfect eyesight!

The strange part is that we simply do not understand the concept of why the helmet is necessary. Most of us have seen motorbike riders with their helmets either hanging on their arms or being carried by the pillion rider! Evidently the only ‘safety’ that they understand is how to avoid a challan! But even this should not come as a surprise considering the number of traffic police personnel, not to mention other policemen, riding motorbikes without wearing helmets; sad as it may seem, it is a pity that the very people credited with enforcing the law are the biggest violators of it.

As for the seatbelts, well ever noticed how everyone wears a seatbelt on the motorway? Not many people know but the law was amended in 2009 to make wearing of seatbelts compulsory in the Punjab. Section 89-B of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 was added and reads:

“(1) A person who is driving a motor car, motor cab, light transport vehicle or a heavy transport vehicle on a notified road shall fasten a seatbelt.”

However, there are exemptions. One is exempt from wearing a seatbelt if there is a medical exemption certificate, if there is no seatbelt fitted in the car, if the vehicle is two or three wheeled or a “delivery van, an emergency vehicle, or a goods vehicle”, or if one is reversing the vehicle and finally, as usual whoever or whatever the government decides to exempt.

To a man of ordinary prudence, the logic of these exemptions may be apparent. As for me, I simply cannot fathom it! Now, just so that I can achieve some clarity, why can the government not make provisions for seatbelts to be fitted into cars that do not have them? Is it not a fact that delivery vans and goods vehicles are high speed vehicles and the reason for many crashes and are often rashly driven and run people over on a daily basis? Are the emergency vehicles not supposed to go at a higher speed than normal traffic? By allowing the personnel of emergency vehicles not to wear a seatbelt, is their life and limb not being put at risk? And since when is reversing a car not actually driving it?!

I know educated people who have cars with safety warnings in case the seatbelt is not worn. This particular breed of the ‘educated’ lot, in order to turn off that annoying constant beep, do fasten their belts, but not around themselves! The belt is put in the clasp and the brilliant driver gets in on top and front of it. Is that not the whole concept of ‘safety’?!

There is a belief in the absolute timing of death. I am often confronted with the argument that if the time of death is certain and fixed, what use would be wearing a helmet or a seatbelt. As a Muslim, I have profound faith that we are going to die when Allah has ordained for us. But the taking of safety precautions is not forbidden in Islam. Common sense, which by the way, contrary to popular belief, is not that common, demands, that injuries be avoided. It is not necessary that one is going to be killed in an accident, but is highly probable that one ends up with severe and crippling injuries to the head and body, sometimes turning one into a paraplegic. All that is required is that one wears and fastens one’s helmet whilst riding on a motorbike, so that if an accident happens, and the head hits the road or the curb, the helmet prevents severe trauma to it. The same holds true for the seatbelt — it prevents the body from going through the windscreen as well as other impact injuries, whether it is a result of a collision or a sudden stop.

Not only we as a nation do not value our own ‘life’, unless one is in the government or a politician, then one needs dozens of armed escorts, on state expense, to protect a single life, but we are totally insensitive to the safety of someone else’s life. One glaring example is that of children. In my opinion, parents who allow underage children to drive cars and motorbikes should suffer penal consequences. Not only are these parents criminally negligent, they have absolutely no regard for the life and safety of their child and other people on the road. Second come parents driving with children and infants sitting in their lap and third are those who allow an unrestrained child to ride in the front passenger seat.

There is this story that I am reminded of when it comes to the people of our country. A man once came to our Prophet (PBUH) on a camel. He left the camel loose. Upon inquiry, he replied that he had left him on “Allah tawakal” (Allah’s trust). He was told by the Prophet (PBUH) to go tie his camel, then to check and make sure that the rope was secure, and only then say “Allah tawakal”.

Be a nation of ‘Allah tawakal’, for He is the Protector. But, do not forget to tie your camel first.

The writer is an advocate of the high court