Iran’s road safety crisis continues unabated as police reports indicate that 880 people lost their lives in over one million traffic accidents during the 21-day Nowruz travel period, spanning from March 15 to April 4, 2025. According to Teymour Hosseini, head of the Iranian Traffic Police (Faraja), a total of 738 fatal accidents were recorded, resulting in 880 deaths.
The staggering number of injuries also paints a grim picture. During this period, close to 16,000 accidents involving injuries occurred, affecting more than 20,000 individuals. Hosseini noted that these figures are preliminary, based on data collected from accident sites and highways, with the final statistics to be compiled after hospital records and forensic reports are reviewed over the next two to three weeks.
According to official statistics, the death toll from traffic accidents during Nowruz 2025 has increased by 8.2% compared to the same period last year, when 813 people died. Hosseini reported that the combined number of urban and intercity accidents during the 21-day holiday period reached 1,016,343.
#Iran Regime's Inattention to Safety Measures, at Least 14 Dead and 18 Injured in Road Accident. https://t.co/kKLn83R21n pic.twitter.com/CZSNa7MJ4F
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 5, 2017
The highest numbers of fatalities occurred in the provinces of Kerman (79 deaths), Fars (76), Razavi Khorasan (60), Sistan and Baluchestan (56), and Khuzestan (51). Hosseini attributed 44% of the deadly accidents to lack of attention while driving, 15% to failure in vehicle control, and 14% to sudden lane changes.
Despite repeated warnings from officials, the Iranian regime continues to endorse low-quality vehicles produced by state-affiliated carmakers like Iran Khodro and Saipa. These companies, which enjoy regime protection, prioritize profit over public safety by producing vehicles that fail basic safety standards. Midway through last year, Hassan Momeni, head of Iran’s Road Police, reported that 83% of vehicles involved in fatal accidents during Nowruz 2024 were domestically produced.
General Hosseini acknowledged ongoing failures in domestic car manufacturing, stating, “We have been warning about the weak body structures of vehicles for years.” Despite these claims, the regime has done nothing to enforce higher safety standards.
#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
The systemic neglect of road infrastructure is equally responsible for the mounting death toll. Substandard roads, inadequate signage, poor maintenance, and a lack of crash barriers on dangerous stretches contribute significantly to the high accident rates. Despite repeated promises of reform, the regime has failed to improve basic infrastructure or enforce meaningful regulations.
Hosseini noted that 6,791 driver’s licenses were confiscated for repeated dangerous violations during the holiday period. Yet, these isolated measures do little to address the broader systemic problems of poor vehicle safety and inadequate road infrastructure.
The most dangerous provinces during the holiday period were Kerman (79 deaths), Fars (76), Razavi Khorasan (60), Sistan and Baluchestan (56), and Khuzestan (51). Hosseini attributed 44% of fatal accidents to lack of attention while driving, 15% to failure in vehicle control, and 14% to sudden lane changes.
The Iranian regime’s pattern of neglecting road safety is not new. Officials continue to warn about the low quality of domestic vehicles and substandard infrastructure, but the regime refuses to take meaningful action. Instead, it issues empty promises of reform while citizens continue to suffer the consequences.