Editorial | Enforce Rules, Save Lives

Reckless driving has become ominously prevalent in the Kashmir Valley and elsewhere. Public buses cutting across lanes, private vehicles overtaking on bends, two-wheelers with no helmets, pedestrians zigzagging on highways across vehicles there is a palpable lack of discipline on the roads. This chaos has turned the act of travel, even for a few kilometers, into a game of chance. Stringent enforcement of traffic regulations is not only essential it is overdue and a matter of urgency.

Based on government statistics, thousands of individuals die annually in road accidents throughout India. Hundreds are killed each year in Jammu and Kashmir alone from avoidable collisions. Behind every statistic is a name, a family, a tomorrow. But we just accept this carnage as normal.

In the majority of instances, it’s not bad weather or poor infrastructure that kills human behavior does. Speeding, drunk and drive, mobile phone use while driving, and lack of lane discipline are some of the prime offenders. These offenses are done in the open and on a regular basis, often in front of traffic authorities, who either turn a blind eye or have no power and system to act on effectively.

Part of the problem is the attitude towards traffic violations. A driver who causes a fatal crash is often booked under bailable sections and walks free within hours. Even repeat offenders rarely face serious consequences. Fines, where imposed, are too low to deter. Without fear of law, rules are just suggestions. That needs to change.

Harsher punishment, such as revocation of driving licenses for habitual offenders and imprisonment for reckless driving, must be uniformly imposed. More significantly, enforcement needs to be regular, not sporadic. Surprise inspections, speed cameras, and well-trained staff with legal support are indispensable. Technology in the form of AI-based monitoring and automated number plate recognition can be a game changer if supported by political will and administrative dedication.

Public transport buses, school buses, and commercial vans usually disregard traffic laws with impunity. They drive on strict time tables and under duress, which results in constant breaches. Still, being responsible for a multiplicity of lives should make them more accountable, not less accountable.

Tough checks on fitness for vehicles, constant testing of drivers for drugs and and compulsory training modules should be included in the rulebook. Transport officials should make sure that drivers with a history of reckless driving are not permitted to get back on to the roads.

Pedestrians are usually the worst victims of this chaos. Zebra lines are disregarded, footpaths are either broken or obstructed, and road signs are absent in most places. Cyclists and e-rickshaw drivers are commonly bullied off the roads by larger vehicles. This indicates not only poor traffic management but a disrespect for human life.

Walkability and non-motorised transport need to be given priority in urban planning. Pedestrian traffic signals, pedestrian crossings with elevations, and cycle tracks are not luxuries in a developing country these are essentials.

Obtaining a driver’s licence in India is too convenient. Too often, licences are handed out with minimal or no driving tests. This produces drivers who are not only inexperienced, but totally uninformed about simple road manners.

A rigorous and standardized licensing mechanism, with actual driving tests and compulsory classroom instruction, needs to be established. Periodic revisional with reassessment of driving competence can eliminate incompetence and complacency.

Shifting public behavior is not accomplished with punishment alone it takes education. Road safety should be included in school education. Little children should learn from an early age about helmets, seat belts, and waiting patiently at traffic lights.

Media reports, particularly local language ones, can be a powerful source of awareness generation. From public service announcements to films and traffic drives, there has to be an ongoing dialogue on safe driving practices.

Any real change will need clear political will. Enforcement too often suffers due to political interference either in favor of a violator or to prevent popular outrage. Nevertheless, road safety cannot be politicized. No vote is worth a human life.

Leaders need to make a public pledge to get roads safer, advocate for robust enforcement of the law, and back traffic officials who act decisively. Road safety needs to be considered a matter of governance, not a trivial hassle.

It sounds tough to call for tighter regulations, stiffer fines, and wider surveillance. But the other option is bad: a world where road fatalities are just business as usual. We need to choose to be uncomfortable today in order to prevent catastrophe tomorrow.

Lives are being lost not because of fate, but because we have failed to act. Every citizen, driver, and policy maker has a role to play. But enforcement is the spine of the system. Without it, all good intentions collapse.

It is time we stop tolerating traffic indiscipline. Saving lives must be our top priority and that starts by enforcing the rules, without exceptions and without delay.