Road accidents cast a shadow over J&K

Srinagar, Nov 3: In a concerning trend, road accidents have taken a devastating toll in Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years.

According to a recently released report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), an alarming total of 4287 lives were tragically lost due to road accidents from 2018 to 2022 in this picturesque yet perilous terrain of J&K.

The grim statistics lay bare a harrowing reality, with 984 lives abruptly ending in 2018, 996 in 2019, 728 in 2020, 774 in 2021, and an agonising 805 deaths in 2022, all as a result of road accidents.

These distressing numbers encompass the fatalities in Ladakh as well, serving as a stark reminder of the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures in the region.

In 2022, Union Territories collectively recorded 3 percent of the total accidents reported, with the highest number of road accidents among all UTs occurring in J&K, totalling 6092 incidents.

Notably, a significant portion of the road fatalities in J&K were attributed to accidents on National Highways.

The report highlights that in 2019, 384 persons lost their lives in road accidents on National Highways in J&K.

In 2020, the number decreased to 258 deaths, but rose to 268 in 2021 and 259 lives were lost on National Highways in 2022.

The treacherous road conditions between Srinagar and Jammu have led to numerous accidents.

This alarming trend in J&K reflects the larger issue of road safety in India.

The MoRTH report for 2022 revealed that the number of road accidents in the country increased by 12 percent, with 53 road accidents occurring every hour.

A total of 4,61,312 road accidents were reported in 2022, claiming 1,68,491 lives and causing injuries to 4,43,366 individuals across the country.

This marked an 11.9 percent increase in accidents, 9.4 percent in fatalities, and 15.3 percent in injuries compared to the previous year.

Worryingly, the report noted that for the fourth consecutive year in 2022, young people in the productive age groups were the major victims of fatal road accidents in India.

The primary cause of these accidents was identified as “over speeding”, which accounted for 72.3 percent of the total road accidents, 71.2 percent of total deaths, and 72.8 percent of total injuries.

Other significant contributors to accidents included “hit from back” which accounted for 19.5 percent of total accident deaths, followed by “hit and run” and “head-on collision” at 18.1 percent and 15.7 percent of deaths.

The report emphasises the critical need for addressing overspeeding and other traffic rule violations to curb the rising trend of road accidents and fatalities across the country, particularly in regions like J&K.

Road safety measures and awareness campaigns are of utmost importance to protect commuters' lives and reduce the tragic toll of road accidents.