Nearly 3,700 Killed in Jammu Kashmir Road Accidents Since 2022 | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Nearly 3,700 people have lost their lives and more than 29,000 others have been injured in road accidents across Jammu and Kashmir since June 2022, a senior government official said on Thursday.

The majority of fatal accidents were reported on major highways, particularly in the districts of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Rajouri, the official added.

The data was presented during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to review the implementation of road safety measures directed by the Supreme Court.

The chief secretary emphasised the need for wider use of GIS-based data to identify accident-prone and vulnerable road stretches, stating that technology-driven assessment would help reduce accidents, especially in hilly areas.

Transport Department Secretary Avny Lavasa informed the meeting that since the launch of the Integrated Road Accident Database (i-RAD) portal in June 2022, a total of 20,135 road accidents involving 32,819 people have been recorded in the Union Territory. These incidents resulted in 3,688 deaths and 29,131 minor or grievous injuries.

According to the analysis, most accidents occurred between 3 pm and 9 pm, with rash driving and over-speeding accounting for nearly half of the mishaps reported in 2025.

Enforcement data showed that the Transport Department issued 40,197 challans in 2024 and 52,543 in 2025, collecting fines of Rs 10.15 crore and Rs 15.88 crore, respectively.

Major violations included driving without helmets or seat belts, mobile phone use while driving, over-speeding and jumping traffic signals. In 2025, authorities seized 1,528 vehicles, suspended 1,641 driving licences, blacklisted 10,439 vehicles, cancelled 1,192 registration certificates and revoked 300 route permits.

Inspector General of Police (Traffic) M Suleman informed the meeting that surveillance cameras and traffic signal systems are operational in Jammu and Srinagar. Traffic Police issued over 14.9 lakh e-challans in 2025, more than 15 lakh in 2024 and over 12.3 lakh in 2023. Fines collected stood at Rs 85.16 crore in 2023 and Rs 145.12 crore in 2025. In 2025 alone, 15,947 vehicles were seized for violations of the Motor Vehicles Act.

An official spokesperson said the chief secretary directed departments to use traffic data for targeted safety interventions and to strictly act against repeat offenders to ensure deterrence.

Road construction agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India, Public Works Department and Border Roads Organisation, were asked to update the meeting on the removal of identified accident black spots.