A Sociological Analysis of Road Accidents among Teenagers Motor Bike Riders in District Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Road accidents in general and among motor bike riders in particular are one of the growing health issues these days in Pakistan. Road accidents are a global concern, but the situation has become worsened particularly in Pakistan. It is an unfortunate fact that the issue is not given as much importance as the issue persists. In road crash accidents, Pakistan stands 1st in Asia and 48th in the world, while the metropolitan city of Pakistan, Karachi is ranked as fourth in the list. Continuous fatal crashes among teenagers motor bike riders results in numerable deaths and injuries in Pakistan. Regular movement of military freight, rapid urbanization, excessive motorization, and congestion, increased the risks to road traffic users. The current study was carried out in District Dir Lower, province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Primary data was collected from 30 respondents conveniently selected, including casualty staff of DHQ Timergara, THQ Chakdara, THQ Shamshi Khan Talash, parents, teenage motor bike riders, and traffic police inspectors. The collected data was qualitatively and thematically analyzed in order to clarify the issue under study. The study concluded that multiple social, economic and cultural factors contribute to road accidents among teenagers motor bike riders. The study also forwarded some suggestions.