Jammu and Kashmir might have witnessed the construction of new roads and highways, but what remains unchanged are the fatalities in the road accidents here as the number continues to go up with each passing year. Over the past five years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a total of 28,172 road accidents, resulting in 8,965 fatalities and 36,615 injuries. The figures show that in 2018, the region recorded 5,978 accidents with 984 deaths and 7,845 injuries. The following year, 2019, saw 5,796 accidents with 996 fatalities and 7,532 injuries. In 2020, there were 4,860 accidents, leading to 728 deaths and 5,894 injuries. The year 2021 saw an increase of 5,452 accidents, resulting in 774 fatalities and 6,972 injuries. The most recent data for 2022 shows 6,092 accidents, which led to 805 deaths and 8,372 injuries. However, to tackle the road safety challenges, the government has implemented several measures, including the Road Safety Advocacy Scheme, which provides financial support for road safety awareness campaigns and programs. National Road Safety Month and Week is observed annually to promote road safety awareness. The concerned ministry is working on establishing Institutes of Driving Training & Research (IDTRs), Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs), and Driving Training Centres (DTCs) at various state and district levels across the country. Nonetheless, the pivotal step that is imperative for reducing the number of road accidents is better guidance to the youngsters within the family. The family, especially the parents, can play a key role in reducing the number of road accidents and simultaneous fatalities. Therefore, proper counselling to the youngsters must be ensured in this regard so that the traffic norms are followed in spirit, which would help in achieving the goal of reducing the road accidents.
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