When visibility is zero: Accidents decrease, but death tolls increase

Number of incidents lower during heavy weak of smog, but casualty figures higher

LAHORE: Unlike population perception, the number of accidents has deceased ever since smog engulfed the province. However, the higher number of casualties and deaths showed that these incidents were of greater intensity.

Crucially, it also showed that road accidents of passenger buses, which carried a greater number of passengers, had increased during this period.

Data compiled by Punjab Rescue 1122 showed that at least 5,274 road traffic crashes (RTCs) were reported from October 31 to November 6, the week in which smog firmly held Lahore in its grip. This was a 13.26% decrease from the week of October 23 to October 30, under clear skies. During the last week of October, 6,881 people were injured of which 5,566 were men and 1,315 were women. During the first week of November alone, 6,088 persons were injured in traffic mishaps including 4,811 men and 1,277 women.



During the last week of October, 1,009 people who were injured were pedestrians. Moving forward to the first week of November, the number of wounded pedestrians decreased to 782. However, the number of buses involved in accidents jumped to 130 in the first week of November. This compared to the last week of October which saw 78 buses involved in such mishaps

The regularity with which fatal accidents increased in the province during the smog was particularly alarming. Despite there being fewer accidents, casualty figures were on the rise.

The more severe accidents during the smog week included the death of three children in an incident in Layyah. The kids lost their lives when a truck and a rickshaw collided near Chowk Azam on Friday (November 2). The same day, two others lost their lives in an accident between a bus and a dumper in Attock.

Also, five people were killed in an accident on the same day on Sheikhpura Road when a van collided with a bus.

On Thursday (November 03), three people lost their lives in two different accidents in Taxila and Attock. The same day, eight people were injured in Faisalabad when seven vehicles collided with each other. In Pakpattan, 12 were injured as a bus overturned.

There have been many cases during the last week of smog in which vehicles collided with each other due to low visibility, but the cases were unreported as the victims suffered minor injuries.



Explaining the phenomenon, Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Jam Sajjad Hussain said that RTC analysis showed that ratio of road accidents during the smog of foggy weather had decreased. However, he confirmed the frequency of serious accidents had increased.  Explaining the reasons, he said that people avoided unnecessary travel during foggy conditions. During such weather, drivers also decreased their speed. In most of serious crashes, passenger buses, which were carrying a crowd, were involved. Low speed and lower proportion of road users ultimately led to the lower number of accidents, he added. “Wherever there was a crash, emergency or rescue was difficult. Involvement of passenger buses in accidents increased as did the number of injuries,” he concluded.

Smog has affected various aspects of life in the city. Many are afraid to venture out of their homes due to the poor visibility, while others fear respiratory/ health issues due to the condition of the atmosphere. The smog is a result of farmer burning the residue of outgoing crops on their lands.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2017.