70,000 of Road Fatalities Involved SAIPA’s Pride

EghtesadOnline: Over the past 11 years, 34% of those who lost their lives in road accidents in Iran, constituting 70,056 victims, died in SAIPA’s small city car, Pride.

News ID: ۷۴۸۱۴۱

11 August 2019

Iran Traffic Police Chief General Kamal Hadianfar told ISNA, “A review of traffic accidents’ data from the past 11 years shows that 34% of the victims were passengers and or drivers of Pride.”

Road accidents claimed 206,049 lives in the 11-year period ending March 2019, data from Iranian Legal Medicine Organization show.

Hadianfar noted that the police force, Industries Ministry and SAIPA managers have held talks over phasing out the production of Pride, Financial Tribune reported.

“At the start of the next fiscal year [starting March 19, 2020], the Traffic Police will not issue license plates for Pride,” he announced.

This not the first time Iranian officials are promising to phase out the substandard and costly car, although it’s the cheapest among other Iranian vehicles. It is often likened to a coffin on four wheels by the locals.

Whenever there is talk of halting the production of low quality cars, SAIPA’s Pride tops the sin list. The vehicle is notorious for its poor mileage and high emission rate, apart from being a major road hazard.

SAIPA says it has sold over 7 million Prides since production started in 1993 in Iran. Pride is based on a Kia Motor hatchback from the 1980s. The South Korean firm ended production of this car in 2000.