SRINAGAR: Despite a national effort to curb road fatalities, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed a troubling rise in road accidents and related deaths over the past five years, even as overall numbers across the country show signs of decline and recovery from the pandemic lull.
According to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 6,092 road accidents in 2022, up from 5,452 in 2021. This marks a surge of over 10 per cent within a single year. Fatalities also rose slightly from 774 to 805 deaths in the same period.
Ladakh, which was counted separately only after 2020, saw 374 road accidents in 2022, a dramatic rise from 236 in 2021. Fatalities too more than doubled, climbing from 27 to 62 deaths.
The data points to over-speeding as the primary cause of crashes. In 2022, 5,990 of the total 6,092 accidents in Jammu and Kashmir were attributed to speeding, resulting in 797 deaths. Ladakh reported 212 speed-related accidents, killing 35 people. Overspeeding remains the leading factor behind accidents nationwide, accounting for over 72 percent of road mishaps in India in 2022.
Vehicle overloading also contributed to road tragedies. Jammu and Kashmir reported 281 such accidents, resulting in 45 deaths, while Ladakh recorded 91 incidents that led to 10 fatalities in 2022.
Worryingly, the number of accidents involving unlicensed drivers is also on the rise. Jammu and Kashmir saw 126 accidents in 2022 involving drivers without valid licences, up from 110 in 2021. Ladakh recorded 37 such incidents, nearly doubling from 19 in 2021.
On the issue of helmet and seatbelt non-compliance, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 81 deaths in 2022 due to riders not wearing helmets and 113 deaths owing to the non-use of seat belts. In Ladakh, four deaths were attributed to helmet violations and 27 deaths due to seatbelt non-use — a serious concern given the terrain and high-speed highway travel in the region.
To counter this, the Ministry has launched the eDAR portal (Electronic Detailed Accident Report), replacing the older iRAD system. This centralised digital platform integrates accident data with systems like VAHAN and Sarathi, and aims to track accidents in real-time, map blackspots, and assist in claims processing. It is unclear how fully operational the platform is in J&K and Ladakh.
Meanwhile, the Ministry claims to have conducted road safety audits across 13.6 lakh kilometres of highways nationwide since 2019-20. Specific findings for J&K and Ladakh were not separately disclosed, but Minister Gadkari noted that audits help in identifying blackspots and suggesting short-term and long-term corrective measures like installation of signage, crash barriers, geometric realignments, and construction of underpasses.
