NAROWAL: Up to 137 people were killed in 1,581 road accidents throughout April in Sheikhupura, as reported by Rescue 1122 in a press release.

According to the press release, the surge in accidents is primarily attributed to underage motorcycle riders and Chingchee rickshaw drivers flouting helmet and speed regulations. Among the deceased, 93 were underage drivers.

Rescue 1122’s control room received 24,007 calls in the last month, of which 5,793 were related to emergencies. Among these, 1,581 calls pertained to road accidents.

Rescuers administered first aid to 2,098 injured people and shifted 3,520 accident victims to hospitals. Also, 3,405 calls were related to medical emergencies, with 141 calls reporting fire emergencies, and four calls requesting assistance for drowning incidents.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Rana Tajummal Hussain cited speeding as a predominant factor in accidents, mainly on Sheikhupura-Lahore Road and Sheikhupura-Sargodha Road.

Local residents Muhammad Luqman and Asher Ali criticised the inefficiency of traffic police in enforcing road regulations, urging parents to dissuade their children from riding motorcycles prematurely.

They said joint efforts by administrative bodies and civil society can mitigate accidents and fatalities.

District Emergency Officer Engineer Ejaz Ahmed told Dawn that monthly Accident Review Committee meetings are convened to curb the rising accident rate.

These meetings are attended by Rescue 1122, traffic and police departments, health agencies, and others.

Measures, such as community awareness campaigns and educational seminars in both government and private educational institutions are held to prevent accidents.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2024