LAHORE - The Emergency Services Department (ESD) Punjab responded to 1,275 road traffic crashes (RTCs) across all 37 districts of the province during the last 24 hours, resulting in 12 fatalities and 1,305 injuries. According to Rescue Punjab spokesperson, a total of 639 seriously injured persons were shifted to hospitals, while 857 victims with minor injuries were provided first aid by Rescue Medical Teams at the crash sites, reducing the burden on hospitals. The majority of crashes (77 percent) involved motorbikes, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and lane discipline to curb the rising number of RTCs.
The analysis revealed that among the victims were 858 drivers, 70 underage drivers, 129 pedestrians, and 525 passengers. Lahore reported the highest number of crashes with 226 incidents affecting 280 people, followed by Faisalabad with 109 RTCs and 121 victims, and Multan with 85 crashes and 104 victims. Overall, 1,317 victims were affected, including 1,256 males and 262 females.
Age-wise analysis showed 320 victims under 18 years, 785 between 18 and 40 years, and 407 above 40 years. Data further indicated that the vehicles involved included 1,291 motorbikes, 100 auto-rickshaws, 127 cars, 30 vans, 19 passenger buses, 38 trucks, and 124 other types of vehicles and slow-moving carts. The spokesperson said that effective awareness campaigns and strict enforcement against underage and reckless driving are essential to reduce such tragedies on Punjab’s roads.