SRINAGAR: According to a 12 year report prepared by traffic police, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed as many as 76,942 road accidents between 2010 and 2022. While the count of injured was reported to be 1,04,983 the total fatalities went up to 12,429.
In the Covid hit years, 2020 and 2021, the accident graph showed a downward trend with the road accident deaths ranging between 700 – 800.
However, in 2022, Jammu and Kashmir again witnessed a surge in road accidents and the graph showed an upward trend with the number of accidents shooting up to 6092. The number of people reported to be injured were 8372 and 805 people were killed during this period.
Many analysts from the Kashmir valley blame the pathetic condition of the roads and the Srinagar-Jammu Highway for the increase in the number of accidents on the highway.
As per data compiled by the traffic department, in 2010, a total of 1073 persons were killed while 8655 people were injured in 6120 accidents.
In 2011, 1121 persons were killed and 9944 injured in a total 6644 accidents.
In 2012, the death toll rose to 1165, while 9755 persons were injured in 6709 road accidents.
In 2013, 990 persons died, around 8681 persons were injured in 6469 accidents.
In 2014, 992 persons were injured and 8043 were injured in 5861 accidents.
In 2015, 917 people were injured and 8142 persons were injured in 5836 accidents.
In 2016, 958 were killed and 7677 were injured in 5501 accidents.
In 2017, 926 were killed and the injured persons were 7419 in 5624 accidents.
In 2018, 984 people were injured and 7845 injured in 5978 accidents.
In 2019, a total of 996 persons were killed, 7532 were injured in 5796 accidents.
In 2020 and 2021, the two years of COVID pandemic, 728 and 774 people were killed respectively. As many as 5894 persons were injured in 4860 accidents during 2020 while 6972 were injured 5452 during 2021.
Recently, during the parliament session Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of road transport and highways in Lok Sabha said that most of the accidents were caused due to human negligence.
“As per the yearly analysis of road accident data, based on the first information report (FIR) data received from various states and Union territories, road accident deaths occur due to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of mobile phone, drunken driving or consumption of alcohol and drug, driving on the wrong side or lane indiscipline, jumping a red light, non-use of safety devices such as helmets and seatbelts,” the minister said.
