According to Siavash Mohebbi, Deputy Chief of the Iranian regime’s Road Police, an average of 45 to 50 people die daily due to traffic accidents, while around 1,000 individuals are injured. Among the injured, approximately 100 people become permanently disabled each day, and over 200 families experience severe income loss and even fall into poverty as a result.
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 3, by the state-run ISNA news agency, Mohebbi attributed these high casualty rates to poor vehicle quality, especially domestically produced cars, as well as inadequate road infrastructure. “Last year, around 20,045 people lost their lives in road accidents. Unfortunately, besides human factors, some vehicles do not meet necessary quality standards, and road infrastructure is also not adequate,” he said.
Mohebbi highlighted that 32 organizations are responsible for preventing traffic accidents in Iran but claimed that only the Ministry of Roads and the police are actively fulfilling their duties. He called on other institutions to step up and adhere to their legal responsibilities to help reduce traffic fatalities and accidents.
#Iran News in Brief
A report dated October 16 by the state-run newspaper “Donyaye Eghtesad” concerning traffic #accident victims in Iran revealed that in on year, the number of fatalities resulting from traffic accidents on the roads amounted to 19,490 individuals.… pic.twitter.com/Q8knbwwlfi— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 16, 2023
Official data reveals a troubling trend in road accident deaths over recent years. From early 2021, the number of road fatalities began to climb again after several years of alleged decline. The statistics for 2023, showing 20,045 deaths, marked a new high since the early 2010s. This rise comes after the country saw its lowest road fatalities in decades in 2020, likely due to reduced traffic from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 15,396 deaths reported that year.
The report also provided detailed statistics for 2023, showing that a total of 391,069 people were either killed or injured in road accidents. Of these, 275,800 were men and 115,269 were women. Provinces such as Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Fars, and Khuzestan had the highest rates of road casualties, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem across the country.
The financial impact of these accidents is also staggering. According to Kamal Hadianfar, head of the regime’s Traffic Police, each road death costs the country approximately 8.3 billion tomans. With 20,000 fatalities last year, the economic loss amounted to about 166 trillion tomans. This figure does not account for injuries and disabilities, which add further strain on Iran’s already struggling economy.
#Iran News in Brief
Hassan Momeni, Head of the regime's Traffic Police, warned of a drastic rise in road accidents in Iran. Shockingly, over 20,000 lives were lost just last year.https://t.co/KfvLvoHSVk pic.twitter.com/z1MlohkiI1— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 21, 2023
The rising road fatalities in Iran not only highlight a severe public safety issue but also expose the systemic failures of the regime in prioritizing the welfare of its citizens. Poor oversight on domestic car production, primarily from state-affiliated companies, has led to a market flooded with substandard vehicles that lack essential safety features.
Furthermore, widespread corruption and negligence in maintaining road safety and transport infrastructure have exacerbated the situation, making Iran’s roads among the most dangerous in the region. These problems stem from the regime’s ongoing decision to prioritize military and geopolitical objectives over public services, leaving the country’s infrastructure in disrepair and its people at risk.
