25,000 died in Punjab road accidents in 15 years

lahore: With failure to implement traffic rules and regulations in letter and spirit and poor learning of road users about road safety measures, at least 25, 000 people have lost their lives in road accidents during the last 15 years in Punjab, Rescue 1122 statistics reveal.

According to the data, in 1.9 million road incidents had also left over 2.2 million people injured including 1.79 million (79 per cent) males and 0.47 million (21 per cent) females in all the 36 districts of the province during the last one and half decade.

However, a Rescue official, seeking anonymity, told The News that the actual number of deaths and injuries must be high as many such patients must have been transported to various hospitals of the province other than Rescue 1122 like Edhi. Similarly, some of the injured must have been shifted to hospitals by their loved ones in private vehicles.

The Rescue official further said that the figure of 25, 000 deaths was only about deaths on spot wherein they received victims as dead whereas over 1 million people out of the total 2.2 million were also rescued as alive but under unstable condition from the accident spots. “God knows how many have lost their lives during transportation to hospitals and during or post-treatment because of the nature of their injuries,” he further explained.

The data further highlighted that around 1.38 million (72.4 per cent) out of total 1.9 million road accidents have occurred involving motor bikes only. Similarly, 252858 (13.21 per cent) traffic accidents occurred involving cars, 48913 involving buses/coaches, 164611 involving trucks, 66396 involving rickshaws, 173486 (9 per cent) involving vans, 3175 involving tractor trolley and 211073 (11 per cent) accidents took place because of some other reasons.

Among the total victims, 321196 (14 per cent) were pedestrians, 1073998 passengers (47.2 per cent), 876323 drivers and 63180 were under age drivers as well.

Moreover, among the total injuries reported during the subject time period, 40692 (1.8) people received spinal injuries, 235462 (10.3 per cent) head injuries, 344422 (15.1) leg fractures, 214689 (9.5) multiple fractures and 1435989 (63.2) people received minor injuries.

According to the statistics, 760237 (40 per cent) accidents were occurred only because of over-speeding. Similarly, 640645 (33.5) accidents were occurred due to carelessness, 153423 (8.1) per cent due to wrong-turn, 114525 (6.1) due to u-turn, 1558 (0.1) due to one-wheeling, 12964 due to tyre burst and 230647(12.2) incidents occurred due to other reasons. The data further highlighted that out of the total injured, 1.1 million (74 per cent) were between the age of 11 years to 40 years including 11 y to 20 y: 481962 (22 per cent), 21 y to 30 y: 688847 (31 per cent) and 31 y to 40 y: 460989 (21 per cent). Furthermore, the data revealed, Lahore stood at the top among the worst hit-cities in road accidents with 472070 accidents, leaving 3000 as dead and 496627 as injured in the last 15 years.

Another astonishing fact was also observed about Lahore wherein out of the total 63180 under age drivers in the province involved in road accidents, 41245 (65.2 per cent) were belonging to the provincial capital of Punjab only.

Similarly, some other districts with highest number of deaths included Faisalabad 2020, Gujranwala 1546, Rahim Yar Khan 1335, Sahiwal 1290 and Multan 1081.

“This is alarming number [of deaths and injuries]. Thousands of families have become victim of careless and rash driving on roads,” a father who lost his only son who was 20 told The News. This must be stopped and everybody must act to make this happen, he stressed.

How to ride a bike or car must be taught in schools and colleges to save precious human lives, he further pleaded. The number of deaths and injuries in road accidents is higher than those who are martyred or injured in terrorism related incidents during the last one and half decade, said Muhammad Jahanzaib Khan Khichi, Transport Minister in Punjab. He said unfortunately thousands of people hapless became victims of rash and careless driving, rendering large number of families to suffer for the entire life.

The minister further told The News that transport issue remained a neglected subject of the past rulers but PTI government will prioritise this department as per modern needs. I’m told that transport department is short of staff and people from other departments are occupying seats, he said, adding, regional transport authorities which remained dysfunctional in the past will start working throughout the province very soon.

We are also working to establish a centralised system to facilitate people where people would be facilitated for registration, fitness certificates as well as licensing under one roof, the minister said.

He further said it was need of the hour to address motorbike issue as well because bike riders were the main cause of road accidents. Roads accidents occur due to rash driving, unfit vehicles, faulty designs of roads as well as illiteracy, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Capt (retd) Liaqat Ali Malik said.

He said only traffic police can’t be held responsible for these deadly accidents as it was a collective failure of all departments concerned as well as road users. “Nobody bothers to abide by the law. Untrained drivers with unfit vehicles are on roads in large number and parents also allow underage youth to ride bikes without any licence and safety measures,” the CTO said, adding, pedestrians also cross roads at their will, violating traffic rules which causes so fatal accidents on daily basis.

The CTO further stated that Motor Vehicle Ordinance (MVO) 1965 also needs to be revised as per needs of the modern era. Under Sections 290 and 291 of the PPC traffic police can impose fine and challan the traffic rules violators, he said, adding, punishments for one-wheelie and traffic rules violators needs to enhanced for deterrence.

The CTO further said under section 279 of the PPC, punishments for one-wheelie is only two years imprisonment or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both but most of the times courts impose fine only.

The police usually take actions against those who caused deaths or injuries on roads under section 318 PPC (Qatl-i-khata) and 322 PPC (Punishment for Qatl-bis-Sabab), he added.

Although, the former Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif had established Punjab Road Safety Authority to streamline the road safety measures during his previous tenure but the same couldn’t be made functional as yet.