In Jammu and Kashmir, the much-awaited Road Safety Policy 2025 is a breath of fresh air for decreasing the road crashes and the number of fatalities responsible for much trouble for the UT.
The policy declared a paradigm shift and generated the desired awareness among the people about cutting the road accidents and deaths by half till 2030.
The policy would require work through public awareness campaigns, and all concerned have to be sensitized sufficiently to carry it out in a sustainable manner.
The road crashes in Jammu and Kashmir remain a public health hazard, and new data have highlighted an alarming number of crashes in the UT, which has led to many deaths, injuries, and heavy economic losses on the families.
Two main causes of the disasters are, among others, the increasing incidence of road crashes-are due to the high level of recklessness with which they drive, with no proper emergency response systems.
The proposed policy is to tackle challenges it has to face by creating system-based interventions in the realms of prevention, enforcement, and rehabilitation.
While the very aspect of broad-spectrum consideration that policy proposes gives it credit to deal with the problem from various angles, it also encompasses intensified traffic laws for the maximum effect, educating people through awareness campaigns for safe driving, and increasing the emergency and post-accident care-the hallmark of any policy working towards a reduction in fatalities.
It provides a well-thought-out, balanced, and integrated approach acknowledging all causes and effects of road crashes and providing a comprehensive solution to the road-safety challenge in addressing the elements that contribute to road crashes.
Such integration allows further maximizing the impact of the interventions by attracting the support of nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and community groups.
At the same time, the general public needs to be made aware and encouraged to change their behaviour. While stricter enforcement can put a few in check, long-term reductions in accidents will depend on changing attitudes and habits of road users.
