Thousands die in Kashmir road accidents each year with most of such accidents caused because of negligent driving and lack of safety gear. In one such video that clearly explains the issue, a man in Kashmir who claims he has been driving cars for 10 to 12 years is seen struggling while using a seat belt.
The 49 second video that is going viral on social media shows a man being stopped by some traffic volunteers. While it is not clear where exactly the incident took place, it is for sure somewhere in Kashmir considering the accent of the man and the surroundings.
The man is asked by a volunteer to wear the seat belt. Ironically, the man, driving what seems is a Maruti 800 has no clue whatsoever how to wear it.
Amusingly he even tries to wrap it around his neck but cannot get the clip fixed.
The volunteer asks him how long has been driving to which the middle aged man replies: “das bara saal se (10 to 12 years).” To it, the volunteer quips, “Aap das bara saal se gaadi chala rahe hain aur aapko seat belt lagana nahi aata (You have been driving for 10 to 12 years and you don’t know how to wear a seat belt?.”
The man again tries and is completely clueless how to wear it. He goes to say “Lagaya nahi kabhi (I have never used a seat belt).”
The man eventually leaves the scene saying that he is getting late.
The video signifies why so many accidents take place in Kashmir given that people are unaware of safety measures with many ignoring them deliberately.
Watch the video here:
According to WHO (World Health Organisation), use of rear seat belt reduces the probability of being killed by 25 percent and injuries by 75 percent. When examining the use of rear seatbelts in India, a 2017 study found that while a majority of the people surveyed were aware of the presence of seatbelts in their vehicles, only a portion of the population actually strap it on. A
s many as 713 people lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir in road accidents last year, a figure which is eight times more than those killed by bullets in the conflict ravaged region, official data reveals.
As per the data compiled by the J&K Traffic Police Department, 5036 accidents happened in J&K from January to November in 2021, in which 713 persons were killed and 6447 were injured.
“589 accidents were reported fatal and 4447 non-fatal,” the figures reveal, adding that 3278 accidents happen only in Jammu, in which 521 persons were killed and 4241 injured. “102 persons were killed and 1175 injured in Jammu district, 76 killed and 536 injured in Kathua, and 63 persons were killed and 313 injured in Ramban,” the data reveals.
In Kashmir, the figures suggest that 1758 accidents took place since January 2021 in which 192 persons were killed and 2206 injured. “36 persons were killed and 333 injured in Srinagar, 25 were killed and 140 injured in Kulgam, and 21 persons were killed and 340 injured in Anantnag district,” the data states.
The figures state that in 2017, 926 were killed and the injured persons were 7419. “In 2018, 984 people were killed and 7845 injured. “In 2019, a total of 996 persons were killed, 7532 were injured. In 2020, 728 people were killed, while 5894 were injured,” the figures reveal.
Pertinently, the deaths caused by road accidents in J&K in 2021 are much higher than those killed by bullets. The figures revealed in the Parliament recently stated that 75 people including 40 civilians and 35 security forces personnel were killed in militancy related in Kashmir in the year 2021 (upto November 31).
