Motorcyclists urged to adopt safety, limit speed

395 die in 40,118 Punjab road crashes in June

LAHORE:

A staggering 395 people have lost their lives in 40,118 road traffic crashes across Punjab in the past month, according to recent data.

Lahore accounted for the majority of these incidents with 8,032 road traffic crashes (RTCs) resulting in 31 deaths.

Other cities with significant numbers include Faisalabad with 2,920 RTCs, Multan with 2,461, Gujranwala with 2,230, Sheikhupura with 1,486, and Rawalpindi with 1,471.

The remaining 21,518 accidents were reported from various districts across Punjab.

In addition to traffic accidents, there were notable fire incidents in major districts: 992 in Lahore, 365 in Rawalpindi, 287 in Faisalabad, 206 in Gujranwala, 186 in Sialkot, and 175 in Attock.

This data was presented during a monthly operational performance review meeting held at the Emergency Services Headquarters, chaired by Secretary Emergency Rescue 1122 Department, Dr Rizwan Naseer.

The meeting was attended by Regional Emergency Officers (REOs), District Emergency Officers (DEOs) from across Punjab via video link, and key officials from the Emergency Services Department.

During the meeting, the DEOs shared their respective districts' operational performance, discussing major emergencies, challenges, case studies, lessons learned, and district-level initiatives.

The monthly emergency statistics reveal that Rescue Services responded to a total of 199,253 emergencies last month. These included 130,706 medical emergencies, 40,118 road traffic accidents, 4,685 crime incidents, 4,563 falls/slips, 4,381 fire incidents, 4,346 delivery cases, 2,220 occupational injuries, 1,324 electric shocks, 1,264 animal rescue operations, 222 drowning incidents, 52 structural collapses, and 5,372 miscellaneous operations across Punjab.

Expressing serious concern over the high number of fatalities, Dr Rizwan urged motorcycle riders to adopt road safety measures and maintain a speed limit of up to 50 km per hour.

He emphasised the importance of adhering to traffic laws, particularly for bikers who should always drive in the extreme left lane.

He also appealed to parents not to allow their underage children to drive motorbikes or cars.

Dr Rizwan highlighted the need for behavioural change to promote safety and prevent such emergencies.

He called for public cooperation with Rescue Services to save lives and promote safety across the province.