Road accidents continue to claim precious lives and there is no end to this crisis of sorts. Seven people were killed in two accidents in Jammu region on Friday alone.
Over the years, various efforts have been made to improve road conditions, tighten the safety norms for auto manufacturers and enforce stringent traffic rules. However as the data bears it, the deficiencies are stark.
While some general causes like error attributed to drivers including reckless driving, overloading, poor condition of vehicles, etc. are prevalent almost across the country, the accidents in J&K can be attributable to factors like dilapidated and narrow roads, common ignorance about traffic laws and lack of knowledge about safe driving principles. Historically, people and administration have been quite slow in taking effective steps to improve the engineering of roads.
The situation calls for launching road safety awareness campaigns on such stretches to check accidents caused due to human errors.
There is a need for the transition to a professional road environment which requires the implementation of first-tier reforms that deal with the quality of road infrastructure, facilities for susceptible users and zero-tolerance enforcement of rules by a trained, professional and empowered machinery.
Scientific road system marked by good engineering, strict enforcement, appropriate technology use and respect for all road users is the need of the hour and steps should be taken towards achieving it.
There is also a need to carry enquiry into the exact cause of accidents along the strategic highway, more so in the areas prone to it.
Even more important is the need to learn the right lessons from this tragedy and work towards evolving a road safety ecosystem for Jammu and Kashmir at large. The automobile user should be made to use the basic safety features and complying with the traffic rules. The administration needs to put real focus and threadbare discussion on the issue for safer roads for all.
Confronting the brazen lack of discipline on roads is impossible without a massive investment push in the road safety strategy.
Also for achieving any measure of success, an effective enforcement of traffic regulations is a must. To prevent road deaths and injuries, a traffic system better adapted to the physical vulnerabilities of its users needs to be created and it cannot be delayed. There is need for thorough determined action.
The government needs to put in place a multi pronged strategy by involving various departments. All these departments need to assume a systematic assessment of the identified locations and proceed with the installation of safety measures.
