Jammu tops list with 105 fatalities, 910 accidents; Shopian lowest with 5 deaths, 56 accidents
Srinagar, Dec 23: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a sharp spike in road accidents this year, with 703 fatalities and 6,820 injuries reported between January and October 2024. The Traffic Police have intensified efforts to curb traffic violations, issuing a staggering 1,211,085 challans across the Union Territory, reflecting intensified efforts to curb traffic violations.
According to officials, factors such as unsafe driving practices, bad weather, and rash driving have largely contributed to these numbers.
From January to October 2024, J&K witnessed 4,990 road accidents, resulting in 6,820 injuries and 703 deaths. A monthly breakdown shows 398 accidents and 55 deaths in January, 373 accidents and 51 deaths in February, 443 accidents and 79 deaths in March, 507 accidents and 63 deaths in April, 597 accidents and 98 deaths in May, 575 accidents and 73 deaths in June, 566 accidents and 88 deaths in July, 595 accidents and 60 deaths in August, 503 accidents and 54 deaths in September, and 533 accidents and 82 deaths in October.
A district-wise analysis reveals alarming trends in certain areas, with Jammu district topping the list in terms of fatalities and accidents, recording 910 accidents and 105 fatalities. Srinagar followed with 394 accidents and 43 fatalities, Anantnag with 283 accidents and 37 fatalities, and Udhampur with 341 accidents and 63 fatalities. Meanwhile, Shopian recorded the lowest numbers with 56 accidents and 5 fatalities. Other districts such as Kulgam, Ramban, and Kathua also registered high accident and fatality counts, with 42, 46, and 34 fatalities respectively. Notably, no accidents were reported in Railway Jammu or Railway Kashmir.
The Traffic Police have intensified efforts to enforce road safety through the issuance of over 1.2 million challans. These include 899,110 court challans and 311,975 compound challans. Srinagar City recorded the highest number of challans at 337,644, followed by Rural Kashmir with 340,356 and City Jammu with 330,326. Efforts also extended to the NHW Ramban area, where 75,552 challans were issued.
An official from the Traffic Police Department in Srinagar said that the department has been consistently working to curb violations and ensure road safety. The issuance of challans is part of a robust effort to maintain discipline on the roads, he said.
