Every Life Matters: India’s Roads Must Not Become Corridors of Grief
On World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, the focus must shift from mourning lost lives to preventing avoidable tragedies.
Syed Yunis Bukhari
Every road accident leaves behind more than damaged vehicles and shattered glass. It leaves families waiting for someone who will never return, children growing up without parents, parents mourning their children, and countless lives permanently altered in a matter of seconds. Behind every road accident statistic is a human story, a family, a dream and a future that may have ended far too soon.
Road accidents have become one of the most pressing public health and social challenges of our time. What makes this crisis particularly disturbing is that many of these deaths and injuries are preventable. Yet, year after year, thousands of families continue to experience the devastating consequences of unsafe roads, reckless driving, inadequate enforcement and delayed emergency medical assistance.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed on the third Sunday of November, provides an opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives, stand in solidarity with injured survivors and bereaved families, and renew our collective commitment to making roads safer. It is not merely a day of remembrance; it is a call for responsibility, compassion and meaningful action.
India continues to face an enormous road safety challenge. Figures presented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Parliament reveal the magnitude of the problem. According to official Government of India data, the country recorded 4,87,707 road accidents in 2024, resulting in 1,77,175 deaths and 2,18,245 grievously injured persons. These figures are not simply numbers in an official report; they represent an enormous human and social loss. Over-speeding remains a particularly serious concern. Government data recorded 3,45,024 road accidents under the category of over-speeding in 2024.
Other reported causes include wrong-side driving, drunken driving, mobile phone use, violation of traffic signals and failure to follow basic road safety rules. These figures raise an uncomfortable but necessary question: how many of these lives could have been saved if drivers had exercised greater caution, roads had been better designed and maintained, and emergency assistance had reached victims in time? Road safety cannot be treated as a matter of convenience or individual preference. It is a shared public responsibility that demands consistent attention from government institutions, law enforcement agencies, road authorities and citizens.
For Jammu and Kashmir, road safety carries an additional dimension. The region’s mountainous geography, winding roads, steep gradients, unpredictable weather and landslide-prone stretches make safe transportation particularly important. Several roads pass through difficult terrain, where a minor driving error, excessive speed or sudden loss of vehicle control can have serious consequences. During winter, snowfall, black ice, reduced visibility and slippery road surfaces create further challenges for motorists. The situation calls for a comprehensive approach to road safety across the region.
Regular maintenance of roads, scientifically designed protective barriers, proper drainage, visible warning signs, adequate lighting and timely identification of accident-prone locations must receive priority. Equally important is the need to strengthen emergency response systems, particularly along highways and remote mountainous routes. Ambulances, trained emergency personnel, trauma-care facilities and effective communication networks can make a crucial difference when every minute matters. Road safety in Jammu and Kashmir should not be viewed only through the lens of traffic management. It must also be understood as an essential component of public health, regional development and human security.
One of the most concerning aspects of road accidents is that many are linked to behaviours that can be avoided. Over-speeding, dangerous overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol, using mobile phones while driving, ignoring traffic signals and refusing to wear helmets or seat belts continue to put lives at risk. For some motorists, speeding has become a display of confidence or driving skill. For others, traffic rules are treated as obstacles rather than safeguards. Such attitudes reflect a serious lack of awareness about the value of human life.
A mobile phone notification can wait. A few minutes saved by reckless driving cannot justify the risk of losing a life. A helmet may appear uncomfortable, and a seat belt may seem unnecessary during a short journey, but these simple safety measures can significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death. Young drivers, in particular, must understand that driving is not a competition. Roads are shared public spaces, and every driver has a responsibility towards pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and other motorists. The need of the hour is to develop a culture in which responsible driving becomes a social norm rather than merely a legal obligation.
Preventing accidents is essential, but strengthening post-crash medical care is equally important. In trauma medicine, the initial period following a serious injury is often referred to as the golden hour. Timely medical intervention can significantly influence the chances of survival and recovery, although the appropriate treatment window varies with the nature and severity of injuries. Unfortunately, victims of road accidents in remote and difficult-to-access areas may face delays because of inadequate ambulance availability, long distances to hospitals, poor communication networks and limited trauma-care facilities.
There is an urgent need to strengthen emergency medical services, establish accessible trauma-care centres along major highways, train police personnel and first responders in basic life support, and improve coordination between ambulance services and hospitals. Public awareness about first aid and responsible assistance to accident victims must also be encouraged. Citizens should know how to alert emergency services and provide safe assistance without putting themselves or the injured person at additional risk. The Good Samaritan framework in India also deserves greater public awareness so that people who voluntarily help road accident victims are not discouraged by fear of unnecessary legal harassment.
The consequences of road accidents extend far beyond the moment of impact. A family that loses its earning member may face years of financial hardship. Children may lose access to education, elderly parents may be left without support, and spouses may struggle to rebuild their lives after an unexpected tragedy. Survivors of serious accidents may experience permanent disabilities, psychological trauma, loss of employment and social isolation. Their rehabilitation requires more than medical treatment; it demands sustained emotional, financial and social support. On this day, our thoughts must extend to these families and survivors.
Remembering victims should also mean acknowledging their suffering, respecting their dignity and ensuring that they are not forgotten once public attention moves elsewhere. Government support systems, insurance mechanisms, rehabilitation services and accessible legal assistance must work effectively for those affected by road crashes.
Road safety cannot improve through slogans and occasional awareness campaigns alone. It requires sustained institutional commitment and measurable action. Traffic laws must be enforced consistently, without discrimination or selective action. Over-speeding, drunk driving, dangerous overtaking and other serious violations must attract appropriate consequences. Road infrastructure must be designed around human safety. Engineering interventions such as safer intersections, pedestrian crossings, speed-calming measures, road markings, protective barriers and adequate signage should be prioritised, particularly near schools, hospitals, residential areas and accident-prone locations.
Governments must regularly identify and correct accident black spots, and road safety audits should become an essential part of infrastructure planning rather than an exercise undertaken only after repeated tragedies. Road safety education must begin at the school level, where children and young people should be taught pedestrian safety, responsible cycling, helmet use, seat-belt compliance and the dangers of distracted driving. Accident data must also be collected, analysed and used to develop evidence-based interventions. Every serious crash should provide lessons that help prevent the next one. The United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 has set a global target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50 per cent by 2030. Achieving this objective will require governments, institutions, communities and individuals to work together with determination.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims must remind us that road safety is not solely the responsibility of traffic police or government departments. It begins with every individual who takes the steering wheel, rides a motorcycle, crosses a road or travels as a passenger. Wearing a helmet, fastening a seat belt, observing speed limits, avoiding mobile phone use while driving and respecting pedestrians are small actions that can protect countless lives. We must also change the way society responds to road accidents. Instead of treating every crash as an unfortunate headline that disappears after a few days, we must ask difficult questions about accountability, infrastructure, enforcement and emergency preparedness.
A nation cannot measure its progress only through the length of its highways, the number of vehicles on its roads or the speed of its economic growth. It must also measure progress by how safely its citizens can travel and how effectively it protects human life. As we remember those who have lost their lives and stand with those whose lives have been changed forever, let us make one commitment: no journey should end in a preventable tragedy. Roads are built to connect people, not to separate families forever. Every life matters, every loss deserves remembrance, and every preventable road death demands action.
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