Road safety is no longer an issue that can be addressed through occasional enforcement drives or isolated engineering works. It requires sustained coordination, reliable data, safer infrastructure, responsible driving and a rapid emergency response system. Official data reveals that against 1,090 deaths recorded in 2024, the number has fallen to 756 up to mid-September 2026. The number of road accidents has also declined from the 2024 baseline of 5,808 to 4,222 during the current period. These figures indicate that coordinated interventions can produce results. However, they should be treated as progress towards a larger goal, not as a reason for complacency. The Jammu and Kashmir government has set targets of restricting road fatalities to 600 or below by 2027 and 450 by 2030. Achieving them will require every agency to remain focused on prevention. The identification of 367 black spots is an important step, but only 68 have so far been completely rectified. A dangerous road stretch identified today cannot remain hazardous for years while files move between departments. Equally important is the growing use of accident data. The i-RAD system and real-time accident dashboards can help authorities understand where, when and why crashes occur. But technology is useful only when the information generated by it leads to action. District Road Safety Committees must therefore function as active problem-solving bodies rather than merely meeting for compliance. Monthly reviews should result in measurable corrective steps. Road safety must also extend beyond vehicles. Pedestrians, cyclists, children, elderly persons and other vulnerable road users are often the first to suffer when urban planning ignores their needs. The construction of more than 135 kilometres of footpaths and cycle tracks is welcome, as are efforts to remove encroachments. Yet such infrastructure must be continuous, accessible and properly maintained. The other crucial pillar is post-accident care. The first hour after a serious crash can determine whether a victim survives or suffers permanent disability. The audit of 15 Level-III trauma centres and the proposed upgrades in manpower and equipment are therefore important investments. Cashless treatment under PM-RAHAT and Rah-Veer schemes can further reduce delays in receiving emergency care. Technology-driven enforcement is another positive development. More than 10 lakh e-challans show a significant shift towards systematic enforcement. Automated vehicle fitness testing, vehicle scrapping facilities and initiatives such as “No Helmet, No Fuel” can strengthen compliance. But enforcement should be predictable, fair and continuous rather than concentrated only during special campaigns. Ultimately, safer roads depend not only on government action but also on public behaviour. Speeding, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, helmet violations and distracted driving can undermine even the best infrastructure. The reported rise in awareness campaigns is therefore important, but road safety education must become a sustained public movement. Jammu and Kashmir has made measurable progress, but every fatality represents a family changed forever. The administration’s goal of zero-casualty corridors should therefore become more than a policy phrase. It should be the guiding principle behind road design, enforcement, emergency care and transport planning.
Zero-Casualty Mission
