This was the gist of the picture painted by Rescue 1122 Director General Rizwan Naseer during the road safety workshop held at the Punjab Governor House on Thursday. The event was organised in joint collaboration by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Punjab Emergency Service, the transport department and the Ministry of Communication. Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar was the chief guest at the event.
He added that road traffic crashes increased by 25% in 2018 as compared to 2017. Discussing recommendations, he stated that using a helmet can reduce the risk of death by 40% and the risk of serious injury by 70%. He added that each incremental improvement in the road safety network can approximately halve the risk of death and serious injury.
The Punjab governor appreciated the organisers’ efforts for raising such an important issue which needs to be addressed on a priority basis. “Our organisations will not be successful until we provide people the proper training and ensure the staff’s capacity building,” he said.
Speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, a Rescue 1122 official stated that the service’s data does not portray the complete picture. He added that there is no doubt that the number of crashes increased during this period.
“However, the scope of Rescue 1122 has also been expanded gradually,” he said. Initially, the service was initiated in Lahore. Then it was expanded to other districts in the province before being introduced at a tehsil level, he explained.
“As the scope of the emergencies expanded, so did the number,” he maintained. He said that there were still many accidents that went unreported as there was a lack of an organised mechanism for data collection.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 9th, 2019.
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