KARACHI, Nov 6: A quarterly report on road traffic accidents has identified Gadap, Bin Qasim, Korangi and Jamshed towns as highly vulnerable areas for accidents while the National Highway (urban section), the Northern Bypass and the Superhighway (urban section) are highlighted as high-risk roads for fatal accidents and injuries.Heavy goods vehicle and public coaches together were found to be responsible for 40 per cent deaths, whereas almost 50 per cent serious accidents involved motorcycles, according to the report.
The Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Centre (RTIR&PC) functioning at the neurosurgery department of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) prepared the report based on only fatal and life-threatening cases.
The data collected with the help of an accident investigator was taken from five major trauma centres of Karachi: JPMC, the Civil Hospital Karachi, the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital and the Liaquat National Hospital.
According to the quarterly (July-September) data collected by the centre, 302 fatal cases were reported in the three months, which witnessed an 11 per cent and six per cent drop in fatalities and life-threatening injuries, respectively, compared to the corresponding period last year.
However, there was a five per cent increase in serious rider injuries, which were 1,030 in the quarter. The number of pillion rider injuries was 544, which is 26 per cent higher than the previous quarter.
The report recorded 121 pedestrian fatalities, which it said were 30 per cent less as compared to the last year’s data of the same period. Serious injuries to pedestrians also dropped to 33 per cent.
“More than 300 life-threatening injuries involved coaches and buses. Involvement of heavy goods vehicle along with public coaches was nearly 40 per cent in overall fatality data,” said the report.
Towns of Gadap (26), Bin Qasim (25), Jamshed (24), Korangi (26), Saddar (19), SITE (20) and the Defence Housing Authority (19) topped the list of areas with high number of fatalities.
The report stated that the National Highway urban section (21), Northern Bypass (15), Superhighway (13), Korangi Road (12), M.A.Jinnah Road (11), Sharea Faisal (11), Korangi Industrial Area Road (10), University Road (9) were the major roads with high fatalities.
A high number of injuries took place on Sharea Faisal (222), National Highway urban section (139) and Korangi Road (124).
Vehicle involvement in road fatalities: motorcycle (148), bus/minibus/coach (45), car (36), unknown vehicles (34), truck (19) water/oil tanker (18), mini van/coaster (15), and loading pickup (16).
Cantonment-wise distribution of fatalities and injuries: DHA injuries (128), fatalities (19); Faisal Cantonment injuries (101), fatalities (7); Karachi Cantonment injuries (55), fatalities (2) and Malir Cantonment injuries (6), road death (1).
Meanwhile, the RTIR&PC has also issued an advisory for public awareness to avoid road mishaps while making a purchase for sacrificial animals.
A press release said that the centre’s statistics showed that 2,600 people suffered road accidents in the month of Zilhaj last year.
“People should plan in advance about the mode of transport they would adopt after buying the animal keeping in view the convenience of all individuals going to the cattle market as well as the animal. Children should not be taken along,” it recommended.
It also said that special care should be taken while riding a motorcycle on the Superhighway. “Riders should wear helmets and ensure that only two people are sitting on the vehicle, which should be checked properly before making a journey,” it added.