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When every Road becomes a Risk

  • RK News By RK News
  • Comments 0
  • 27 Sep 2025

ISHFAQ MANZOOR    Every morning when we leave our homes whether as drivers, passengers, or pedestrians, we step into a space that should ideally feel safe and orderly: our roads. Yet, increasingly, the experience is marked by near misses, sudden brakes, and moments of anxiety. What should be an exception has become routine. The uncomfortable truth is that traveling on the roads of Kashmir today feels like navigating a constant series of risks. At the heart of this challenge lies not only infrastructure or external conditions, but something deeper: our collective attitude toward road discipline. We have, over time, developed habits of impatience, haste, and disregard for basic rules that make our daily commute perilous. Instead of being governed by patience and respect, our traffic culture is too often ruled by impulse and convenience. One of the most visible examples of this is at U-turns and junctions. Any driver will admit having witnessed, or perhaps even participated in, the rush to cross without stopping. Vehicles approaching from the opposite side often do not wait for their turn; instead, they squeeze into gaps, even when there is hardly any space to pass.    The logic seems to be simple: “If I can push through, why wait?” This tendency not only disrupts smooth traffic flow but also increases the likelihood of collisions. Ironically, the few seconds “saved” by rushing through a U-turn can lead to hours of regret when accidents occur. Pedestrians are no exception to this culture of carelessness. Many of us step onto roads without properly checking for oncoming traffic, assuming that drivers will stop for us. At times, people cross roads distracted, on phones or in conversation, without realizing the danger they create for themselves and others. Whether on two feet or on two wheels, negligence has become a habit we can no longer afford. It is important to be honest with ourselves here: we often look outward for someone to blame, but in reality, the responsibility lies with us, the road users. Governments can build wider roads, install signals, or place signboards; police can enforce rules; but unless we internalize discipline and self-restraint, nothing will truly change. Road safety begins not in policies or enforcement drives, but in the small decisions each of us makes every day whether to stop, to wait, to slow down, or to rush ahead. The deterioration of safety on our roads has been gradual but steady. With more vehicles on the roads than ever before, the pressure of traffic has undoubtedly grown. Yet, numbers alone do not explain the problem. After all, many cities around the world manage far higher traffic volumes with far fewer mishaps. The difference lies in behavior, awareness, and the culture of driving. Unfortunately, in our context, we seem to have normalized recklessness as part of daily life. The consequences are not merely physical but also psychological. Every driver or pedestrian can recall moments when their heart skipped a beat because of a sudden close call. The stress of constantly anticipating the mistakes of others makes our journeys mentally exhausting. What should be routine travel often feels like a battle for survival. The good news, however, is that the solution lies within our grasp. Road safety does not require extraordinary investments or impossible changes. What it requires is a shift in mindset. Imagine if every driver in Kashmir simply decided to give way when required, to slow down at turns, and to respect the pedestrian crossing. Imagine if pedestrians waited patiently for the road to clear before stepping across. Instantly, without a single new law or road project, our accident rates would decline and our sense of safety would improve. There is also a cultural dimension to this. Roads are shared spaces. They are not private tracks for individual convenience; they are public lifelines that connect us all to schools, to hospitals, to markets, to our workplaces. Respecting the road means respecting the community. Courtesy and patience are not weaknesses but strengths that protect lives and reflect maturity. Let us also remember that traffic discipline is not merely about protecting ourselves; it is about protecting others our passengers, fellow drivers, and even strangers we will never meet again. The smallest gesture of caution can prevent a tragedy that might haunt families forever. A second’s delay at an intersection is always better than a lifetime of regret. As Kashmir grows and modernizes, our traffic culture must evolve too. True progress is not measured only in new highways or flyovers, but in the safety and dignity with which we travel on them. To achieve this, every citizen has a role to play. Authorities may provide the framework, but discipline must come from within us. The time to act is now. We cannot allow daily narrow escapes to become normal. We must recognize that every journey is a shared responsibility and that saving lives begins with patience, respect, and discipline. In the end, the solution is as simple as it is profound: drive as if your family were in every other vehicle, walk as if your child were crossing the road.   (Author is a Library Futurist , Writer and a Social Innovator from Kulgam)

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