The tragic road accident at Sarthal Mode in Kathua’s Bani tehsil on Friday, in which two people have lost their lives and three others have been injured, is yet another grim reminder of the danger posed by the region’s mountain roads. The death of Monika, 29, followed by that of 61-year-old Balwant Kotwal, has turned what was possibly an ordinary journey into an irreversible family tragedy. Three others remain injured and are undergoing treatment. Every such accident is reported as an isolated incident. A vehicle loses control, a crash occurs, the injured are shifted to hospital, and the police take cognisance. But behind this familiar sequence lies a deeper and more disturbing question: why do road accidents continue to claim so many lives in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in hilly districts such as Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar and Rajouri? The answer cannot be reduced to driver error alone. Mountain roads are unforgiving. Sharp bends, steep slopes, inadequate crash barriers, poor illumination, damaged surfaces and the absence of timely warning signs combine to make even a brief lapse potentially fatal. At places such as Sarthal Mode, road safety must be assessed not merely through routine inspections but through a detailed understanding of the terrain, traffic movement and accident history. The administration and road agencies must treat accident-prone stretches as priority safety zones. Protective walls and crash barriers need to be installed wherever vehicles are vulnerable to falling into deep slopes. Road markings, reflective signs and speed-calming measures should be maintained throughout the year, not only after a major accident. Regular safety audits by independent technical teams can help identify risks that routine departmental checks often overlook. Equally important is enforcement. Overloading, speeding, rash driving and negligent vehicle maintenance continue to endanger passengers and other road users. Fitness checks for vehicles operating on hilly routes must be genuine, while traffic personnel should be deployed strategically at vulnerable points. Awareness campaigns are useful, but they cannot substitute for consistent enforcement and accountability. The response after an accident is also crucial. In remote areas, the first few minutes often determine whether an injured person survives. Ambulance availability, trained first responders, trauma-care facilities, and reliable communication networks must be strengthened along major mountain corridors. Hospitals serving these areas should have the capacity to handle emergency cases without avoidable delays. The Sarthal accident should not fade from public attention after the police investigation is completed. An inquiry must establish the immediate cause of the crash, but the larger responsibility lies in preventing the next one. The families of the deceased deserve support, and the injured require sustained medical care. More importantly, the authorities must ensure that unsafe roads do not continue to turn routine travel into a gamble with life.
