Jammu, June 8 (IANS) As many as 15 people were injured in a road accident in J&K’s Rajouri district on Monday, officials said.

The accident occurred as a minibus skidded off the road on the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch national highway in the Tandwal area of Rajouri.

“The driver lost control of the wheel, and the vehicle skidded off the road, injuring 15 people. All the injured have been shifted to a hospital for treatment. Police have registered a case in the incident and started an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident,” an official said.

The hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, and Udhampur are notorious for fatal road accidents.

Traffic Department officials attribute these accidents to bad road conditions, overloading, overspeeding, and road rage.

Special squads have been deployed by the Traffic Department in these districts to check the menace of rash and negligent driving.

Several drivers have been booked for rash and negligent driving, resulting in the loss of precious human lives. Cancellation of driving licence, cancellation of vehicle registration certificates, and imprisonment of offenders are the punitive measures taken by the authorities.

In cases where minors are found driving vehicles, imprisonment of the parents and cancellation of vehicle registration certificates are the steps taken.

Another emerging road menace is stunt-biking by misguided youth. Such youth are seen performing stunts on roads and trying to do what even the most professional stunt performers are not permitted to do on roads and highways.

Youth caught doing stunt biking on roads face cancellation of vehicle registration and driving licences in addition to monetary fines and imprisonment in cases where such stunts result in endangering public life and safety.

As part of their social responsibility, the Traffic Department holds awareness camps in which people are made aware of the dangers of violating traffic rules. Petrol pumps have been instructed not to sell fuel to two-wheeler drivers coming without wearing crash helmets.

–IANS

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