12 killed, 1,396 injured in 1,214 road crashes reported across Punjab

• ESD report reveals motorbikes dominate fatalities, involved in 71% of all reported accidents

• 52 underage drivers among victims, raising alarms over lax enforcement

 LAHORE: At least 12 people lost their lives, while 1,396 sustained injuries in a total of 1,214 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in all 37 districts of Punjab during the last 24 hours, according to the Punjab Emergency Services Department (ESD) on Sunday.

In its report, the Punjab ESD said that of the injured, 646 victims with serious injuries were shifted to various hospitals, whereas 750 people with minor injuries were treated on the spot by Rescue Medical Teams, significantly reducing the burden on hospitals.

Motorbikes accounted for the majority of crashes, with 71 per cent of the RTCs involving motorcycles, highlighting the urgent need for effective enforcement of traffic laws and strict lane discipline to curb the rising number of road accidents.

Further analysis revealed that the victims included 845 drivers, 52 underage drivers, 147 pedestrians, and 416 passengers. The statistics show that 255 RTCs were reported in Lahore, affecting 295 persons, placing the provincial capital at the top of the list. It was followed by Faisalabad with 89 RTCs and 98 victims, while Gujranwala ranked third with 74 RTCs and 82 victims.

The data further shows that 1,408 victims were affected by road traffic crashes, including 1,153 males and 255 females. An age-wise breakdown reveals that 263 victims were under 18 years of age, 749 were between 18 and 40 years, while the remaining 396 victims were above 40 years of age.

According to the statistics, the accidents involved 1,295 motorbikes, 87 auto-rickshaws, 132 motorcars, 36 vans, 12 passenger buses, 46 trucks, and 70 other types of vehicles and slow-moving carts.