Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents with Spatial existing Statistics in Gilgit-Baltistan
By: Sana mehmood
The World Health
Organization has estimated that 1.35 million people die annually in the world
in Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs). The developing countries are more suffered
from RTAs. In Pakistan, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS,
2018), an average (15) people die per day, in RTAs. It is about (30310) people
or every 20th person out of (100000) die in road traffic accidents annually.
Additionally, in Pakistan, every five minutes someone is being killed or
injured in RTAs, which positions Pakistan at 67th in the global
ranking for the higher percentage of RTAs. Most of the accidents that occurred
in Pakistan are due to less knowledge, negative attitude, and malpractices of
drivers towards the road traffic rules and regulations.
The number of RTAs is
high in Gilgit-Baltistan, where most of the drivers are illiterate, have less
update knowledge about road traffic rules, negative attitude towards the
traffic laws and bad practices of drivers while driving. Most of the drivers
(43%) do not have possessed a driving license (Survey). In Gilgit-Baltistan,
there is no proper mechanism of issuing the driving licenses, especially aimed
at the public vehicle drivers. Whoever, having sources or reference in the
police or district administration, can be easily obtained a commercial or heavy
traffic vehicle driving license, even without any physical and driving test
(Mehmood &Baig 2019). Due to these issues, the number of RTAs is very high.
Additionally, the number of vehicles is also increasing day by day in
Gilgit-Baltistan, where the figure with the office of the Deputy Director
Excise and Taxation Gilgit-Baltistan as, the regular vehicles are (36680), NCP
are(14846) and (1260) Government vehicles and the total number of vehicles both
registered and non-registered are (52786).
According to the
Central Police Office (CPO) from the year, 2007-2018 the total number of road
RTAs was (1763) both fatal (454, 26%) and non-fatal (1309, 74%). These were the
registered road traffic accident cases, and the majority of road accident cases
goes unnoticed or unregistered. The average number of RTAs is 147 accidents per
year (registered). If we looked upon the road accidents district wise, from the
year 2013-2017 the Gilgit district with (162) accidents cases which placed it
at the first number and Ghizer at the second number with (161) road accident
cases and the least cases were reported from the District Shigar, where only
(18) accidents were reported. If we further breakdown the number of accidents
region-wise, the total number of RTAs was (778) from 2013-2017. The Gilgit
region (Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, and Gilgit) comprises of (418) which is (54%) of
total accidents, the second number is the Baltistan region (Skardu, Ghanche,
Shigar, Kharmang) comprises of (216) accidents which are (28%) of total cases,
and finally Astor/ Diamer region where accidents were (144) which become (19%)
of the total cases. These accidents excluded road traffic accidents on the
Karakorum Highway (KKH).
The year-wise road
accident data on the KKH from 2014-30.07.2019 in only the Gilgit-Baltistan
region, started from Sost to Chilas police last check post. The total number of
accidents both fatal and nonfatal were (221) where the fatal were (75, 34%) and
non-fatal was (146, 66%). A total number of the person killed (84), where (71)
males and (13) females. On the other hand, total injuries were (269) where
males were (248) and females were (21). Moreover, (363) vehicles were involved
in, most of them were totally damage and nor repairable.
If we talk about the
category wise summary of emergencies responded by the Gilgit-Baltistan Rescue
1122, till 31st August 2019 from the year 2012-2019 areas; total emergencies
responded were (30478) and the road traffic accidents responded were ( RTAs
5690) which is consisted of (19%) of the total response, this shows that the
road accidents are increasing day by day. Year-wise distribution of RTAs
responses was as; in the year (2012-198, 2013-227, 2014-689, 2015-890,
2016-907, 2017-1411, 2018-454 and in the year 2019-454). The overall category
wise distribution, the road traffic accident responses were at number second
after the medical cases.
The Gilgit-Baltistan
police are playing their positive role to overcome road accidents. Majority of
respondents (85% Survey) were strongly agreed that Gilgit-Baltistan police play
their role in managing the traffic and accidents on KKH and inside the cities.
The summary of the total registered road accident cases from the year
2014-30.07.2019 with the Gilgit-Baltistan Policy (GBP), the total FIRs
registered were (221), where (03) cases were under investigation of fatal
cases, (70) cases were under investigation of non-fatal cases. Furthermore,
fatal cases challan was (69) and non-fatal cases were challan (142). A total of
(36) cases have been acquitted, (59) cases were convicted and finally, (116)
cases are under trial in different courts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Government of
Gilgit-Baltistan should take the following steps to overcome the number of road
traffic accidents in Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly on the KKH.
1.
Impose higher
taxes on the vehicles especially on the NCP.
2.
To register all
the vehicles after proper investigations.
3.
The police
should be speedy in their way of investigating cases involved in road
accidents.
4.
Make a proper
mechanism to issue the driving license. The driving license should be an issue
after having a proper driving test and a medical certificate.
5.
Arrange seminars
regarding road safety in Gilgit-Baltistan.
6.
Impose a high
challan on the underage drivers who do not possess the driving license.
7.
Do not issue
petrol to the motorbike riders without a helmet.
8.
Regularly renew
the vehicle physical fitness certificate for the public transport, especially
vehicles from Gilgit-Baltistan to Islamabad, unrouted on KKH.
Hopefully, the
government institutions and the policymakers will address this life-threating
issue in a more systematic manner. It calls for attention and for immediate appeal
for solid action by the policymakers and the responsible institutions. If the
government will not able to take effective measures timely than road accidents
may become the 5th most leading causes of death in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The writer is
M-Phil-Scholar, Department of Sociology, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad and
doing research on Road Safety in Gilgit-Baltistan: Reached at sanamehmood@student.qau.edu.pk
Sana, Mehmood,
&Baig, Raheem. Saima. 2019. Aberrant behavior of drivers and involvement in
road accidents: A Case study of Karakoram Highway from Gilgit-Baltistan to
Islamabad. The Explorer Islamabad: Journal of Social Sciences, 4, (1):
29-38, ISSN: 2411-0132(E), 2411-5487(P) www.theexplorerpak.org.
