Four persons were killed and three others injured in a road accident at Maligam area of Pogal in Ukhrall tehsil of Ramban district. Reports said that the mishap occurred when a vehicle skidded off due to slippery road conditions and fell into a gorge.
There is no end to the fatal road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir. People continue to lose lives in these mishaps. Reports say that there is rise on the number of accidents on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Ramban district and its peripheral roads. Some other areas of the Chenab Valley are also witnessing major and minor accidents.
Local people say while some of the accidents occur because of the violation of road safety rules by the drivers, others occur due to bad condition of roads. The concerned authorities must look into both the causes and take serious measures to prevent occurrence of the accidents. Such measures can save human lives. Strict implementation of rules is required.
The condition of roads has to be improved. Roads do not get the required attention in some areas. If improving their condition was a priority, then roads in Srinagar at several places would not have been in a bad shape. If such is the condition of some of the roads in the capital city, what can be the condition of roads in towns, rural areas and far flung places.
The authorities must take steps for necessary repairs and other works on damaged roads. The steps must be promptly taken at the places where chances of major accidents are more. The implementation of traffic rules is also needed.
After a major road accident in Doda last year in which 38 persons were killed, the authorities had launched a drive across Jammu and Kashmir against overloading in passenger buses. Several buses were seized and cases registered against the drivers for endangering the lives of the passengers.
But this campaign lost its tempo later. The drive must be restarted. Action should be also taken against the drivers, indulging in over- speeding, wrongly overtaking other vehicles or driving from wrong side.
Other violations must be also strictly dealt with. It is the responsibility of the people to follow traffic rules while driving. The traffic police department cannot single handedly improve the traffic scenario or prevent road accidents.
Cooperation of the people is also needed. Those driving must themselves follow the road safety rules and not wait for the traffic officials to tell them to do so.