Ludhiana: Nearly one-fourth of all road accidents in Ludhiana city in 2024 occurred during the three-hour evening window between 6 PM and 9 PM, according to data from the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.Out of 483 total road accidents reported in Ludhiana throughout 2024, 112 occurred between 6 pm and 9 pm, accounting for 23.2% of the total crashes across all time slots.The 9 pm to 12 am period recorded the second-highest tally with 109 accidents, while the early morning window between 3 am and 6 am saw the lowest with 16 mishaps.Historical NCRB data from the past five years indicates that the 6 pm to 9 pm time frame consistently sees the highest number of accidents annually in Ludhiana, peaking at 134 in 2021 and recording a low of 96 in 2020. Monthly data for 2024 shows October recorded the highest total at 51 accidents, while May saw the lowest at 27.Road safety experts linked the high rate of evening collisions to drunk driving, speeding, and commuters rushing home after work hours.“There are many reasons for such number of accidents during the time duration of the day. Many people drink and drive and many more are rushing back home after day’s work so the speed is high. To bring such accidents down, the enforcement agency needs to set up more traffic check posts on city roads to check speeding and drunk driving,” said road safety expert Kamaljit Soi.City residents also called for continuous enforcement to reduce casualties on local roads. “The traffic police should set up check posts to check over speeding and drunk driving throughout the year and not only during festive season. He added that there is also need to ensure that roads are well lit and necessary road safety infrastructure is in place so that accidents don’t happen during such time,” said Narinder Singh, a local resident.
