The alarming rise in road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir has become a grave concern before the local administration, as the region is grappling with thousands of tragic incidents claiming hundreds of lives. As many as over 650 deaths have been reported from more than 4,500 accidents in 2024, while 6,000 others have been injured.
The emergent situation has compelled the traffic department of Jammu and Kashmir Police to start an aggressive awareness campaign on the need for following traffic rules. The police are especially cautioning parents against allowing their minor children to drive vehicles. It has been highlighted after the recent tragic accident in the Tengpora area of Srinagar, where two schoolchildren were killed and another was seriously injured. The harrowing CCTV footage of the incident has sent shockwaves throughout the entire Kashmir Valley.
Due to the rising crisis, traffic police have gone on an overdrive, seizing hundreds of vehicles in the recent days that were being driven either by minors or people without a license. The public discussion over the accident has stirred outrage on social media, as many demanded harsher government policies and showed resentment toward parents who allow children to drive.
Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, SSP Traffic City Srinagar, reiterated that efforts were underway to curb traffic violations, which has increased the number of accidents and resulting fatalities. “The recent accident has started a conversation in society that has pointed out how widespread the menace of minors driving two-wheelers and four-wheelers is. We are taking up the issue,” he said.
Statistics show that Srinagar has witnessed such a tragic rise in casualties this year, with 50 lives lost, including the recent ones. “The daily traffic violations in Kashmir Division vary between 3,500 and 4,000, but Shah said that mere fines can’t help in resolving the problems at the core. “It’s a collective effort,” he added.
Following this recent tragedy, civil society organizations and NGOs have joined the chorus for action in demanding a stringent transport policy in Jammu and Kashmir, besides increasing the number of traffic policemen on the roads. This is needed, as there are around 500,000 registered vehicles in Srinagar itself with hardly 300 traffic policemen to manage them.
Nasir Ali Khan, founder of the Kashmir Road Safety Forum, described the situation best when he said, “650 lives have been lost this year in 2024, and many more are crippled due to accidents. There are 48 percent more deaths due to road accidents compared with armed conflicts in the region. While there is a strong security policy, there isn’t an overall transport policy.” The cries for reform ring loudly in the community as residents urge the discovery of solutions to safer roads for all.
