Why GT Road Becomes Deadlier Than Motorways During Dense Fog
At least nine people were killed, and more than 30 were injured in multiple fog-related road accidents across Punjab on Monday, as dense smog reduced visibility to near zero in several districts, according to DAWN.
The incidents once again raise a critical question: why do fatal crashes spike on GT Roads when motorways are closed due to fog?
Deadly Crashes Across Punjab
Fog-related accidents were reported in Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, and Okara, involving buses, vans, motorcycles, rickshaws, and tractor-trolleys.
In the Sahiwal division, a three-vehicle collision on Mahangoo Road involving a tractor-trolley, van, and mini-bus killed a nine-year-old boy, while six others were injured and shifted to DHQ Hospital Pakpattan.
On Pakpattan Road, a motorcyclist died instantly after colliding head-on with a tractor-trolley. In a separate incident on the GT Road near Adda Gamber, an elderly woman was struck and killed by a speeding vehicle whose driver fled the scene.
In Toba Tek Singh’s Shahkot area, a bus crashed into a motorcycle-rickshaw in thick fog, killing three passengers and injuring three others.
Meanwhile, in Faisalabad, a wedding party van rammed into a stationary tractor-trolley loaded with husk near Chak 139-GB, killing two people and critically injuring three more.
In Okara, at least 12 passengers were injured when a bus collided with a car on 36 Juraywala Road, while separate accidents involving overturned mini-buses and sugarcane trolleys injured several factory workers.
Why Motorways Close — and GT Road Doesn’t
Motorways are shut during severe fog because they rely on high-speed travel with limited reaction time. Once visibility drops below safe thresholds, even trained drivers cannot respond in time.
GT Road, however, remains open — despite carrying:
- High-speed intercity buses
- Slow-moving tractor-trolleys
- Rickshaws, motorcycles, and pedestrians
This mixed traffic creates a deadly environment in fog, where speed differences and poor visibility collide.
The Real Risks of GT Road in Fog
No Fog-Safety Infrastructure
Unlike motorways, GT Road lacks:
- Fog sensors and variable speed limits
- Lane reflectors and rumble strips
- Controlled entry and exit points
- Emergency stopping bays
Even some patches of GT roads don’t have white strips, which helps a lot in zero visibility conditions.
Weak Enforcement and Risky Decisions
With motorways closed, traffic diverts to the GT Road with:
- Minimal speed enforcement
- No temporary fog restrictions
- Limited highway police presence
At the same time, many drivers — including transporters, factory workers, and wedding convoys feel pressure to reach destinations on time, choosing risk over delay.
The Cost of Ignoring Closures
Traffic experts say motorway closures save lives, while unregulated diversions to the GT Road during fog multiply risks. Until fog-specific controls, enforcement, and safety infrastructure are extended beyond motorways, GT Road will remain one of Punjab’s deadliest winter routes in fog season.
How to Stay Safe in Dense Fog
The absolute best way to handle dense fog is to simply not drive in it, delay your trip until visibility improves, because being late is better than the alternative. If you have no choice but to get behind the wheel, drop your speed to 30-50 km/h so you have time to respond and apply brakes when another vehicle comes up in front of you during zero visibility conditions.
Never use your high beams; they reflect off moisture droplets and blind you further, so stick to low beams or fog lights.
Instead of following the tail lights of the car in front, which might lead you right into their accident, keep your eyes locked on the white painted line or reflectors on the edge of the road to stay in your lane.
Also, turn off the music and keep your window open slightly; often, you will hear an approaching vehicle or a crash before you can see it. Finally, keep the hazards on because the yellow indicator lights are more visible than the red taillight.
The Bottom Line
Motorway closures are not an inconvenience; they are a life-saving measure. Until similar safety standards are in place on GT Roads, choosing them as alternatives during dense fog may prove fatal.
