On Kashmir’s roads, where traffic has grown heavier and temper has grown thinner, driving has become more than a matter of reaching a destination. It has become a test of discipline. Every day, we witness a troubling mix of impatience, recklessness and disregard for basic road etiquette. Overtaking from the wrong side, overspeeding on narrow stretches, using mobile phones while driving, jumping signals, and treating lanes as optional are no longer rare exceptions. They have become part of the daily commute. The result is predictable: accidents, injuries, traffic snarls and avoidable deaths. Driving, at its core, is a responsibility, not a performance. Yet many motorists behave as if the road is a stage and speed is a virtue. It is not. A sensible driver knows that the purpose of a vehicle is safe movement, not display. The few extra minutes saved by rash driving are never worth the risk to one’s own life or the lives of others. A hurried response, a careless turn or a moment of distraction can change families forever. In that sense, road safety is not just a transport issue; it is a social and moral one. What makes the problem more worrying is that bad driving habits are often normalized. People honk endlessly, block intersections, stop wherever they please, and expect others to adjust. Pedestrians are ignored. Two-wheelers weave through traffic without helmets. Seatbelts are treated as optional. Children are carried without proper restraint. Even in adverse weather or on congested roads, caution gives way to urgency. This casual attitude reflects a larger failure: we have learned to tolerate danger instead of demanding order. The solution does not lie in slogans alone. It requires a change in behaviour, backed by consistent enforcement. Traffic rules must be applied fairly and firmly. Repeat violators should face real consequences. But enforcement by itself will not solve the problem unless citizens also accept their share of responsibility. Schools should teach road safety early. Driving tests must be made stricter and more credible. Public awareness campaigns should focus not only on penalties, but on the everyday habits that save lives — maintaining distance, using indicators, avoiding distractions, respecting speed limits and yielding to pedestrians. There is also a need to rethink the culture of aggression on the road. Patience is not weakness. Caution is not delay. Courtesy is not submission. In fact, the most sensible driver is often the most efficient one, because he or she avoids confusion, conflict and danger. Roads function best when every user understands that safety is shared. Kashmir’s roads do not need more speed. They need more sense. They need drivers who understand that every rule ignored is a risk multiplied. Sensible driving is not merely about avoiding fines or accidents. It is about valuing life, one careful decision at a time.
