SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a significant rise in road accidents this year, with 703 deaths and 6,820 injuries recorded between January and October 2024.
In response, the Traffic Police have stepped up their efforts to curb traffic violations, issuing a total of 1,211,085 challans across the Union Territory. This figure includes both court and compound challans, indicating a heightened focus on road safety.
The data, provided by the Jammu & Kashmir Traffic Police covers all districts of the region, including the Railways areas of Kashmir, Jammu, and Katra. Authorities attribute the surge in accidents and fatalities to factors such as unsafe driving practices, poor weather conditions, and reckless driving.
From January to October 2024, JK reported 4,990 road accidents. These resulted in 6,820 injuries and 703 deaths. The monthly breakdown of accidents and fatalities shows the following:
- January: 398 accidents, 55 deaths
- February: 373 accidents, 51 deaths
- March: 443 accidents, 79 deaths
- April: 507 accidents, 63 deaths
- May: 597 accidents, 98 deaths
- June: 575 accidents, 73 deaths
- July: 566 accidents, 88 deaths
- August: 595 accidents, 60 deaths
- September: 503 accidents, 54 deaths
- October: 533 accidents, 82 deaths
A district-wise analysis reveals troubling trends, with Jammu district leading in both fatalities and accidents. The breakdown for key districts is as follows:
- Jammu: 910 accidents, 105 fatalities
- Srinagar: 394 accidents, 43 fatalities
- Anantnag: 283 accidents, 37 fatalities
- Pulwama: 88 accidents, 5 fatalities
- Shopian: 56 accidents, 5 fatalities (lowest fatalities)
- Udhampur: 341 accidents, 63 fatalities
- Ramban: 240 accidents, 46 fatalities
- Kathua: 372 accidents, 34 fatalities
- Kishtwar: 102 accidents, 34 fatalities
- Baramulla: 170 accidents, 35 fatalities
Other districts such as Budgam, Ganderbal, and Reasi also reported a significant number of accidents and fatalities, while Shopian recorded the lowest number of fatalities. The Railway Katra area recorded four accidents, resulting in one fatality, while no accidents were reported in Railway Jammu and Railway Kashmir.
The Traffic Police’s intensified efforts to enforce road safety have led to the issuance of over 1.2 million challans. These include 899,110 court challans and 311,975 compound challans, covering various regions across the Union Territory. Notable areas include Srinagar City with 337,644 challans, and Rural Kashmir with 340,356. In Jammu City, 330,326 challans were issued, while Rural Jammu had 127,207.
An official from the Traffic Police Department in Srinagar stated that these measures are part of a comprehensive approach to reduce traffic violations and enhance road safety across the region. (KNO)
