Road Death Toll Rises in Iran

EghtesadOnline: Data released by the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization reveals an alarming picture of road mortality rates. Close to 16,000 people lost their lives in road mishaps in 11 months to February 19.

News ID: ۷۸۴۵۹۷

14 April 2019

The death rate is 1.2% higher compared to the corresponding period last year.

A comparative look at the LMO chart shows that during the period under study, 15,927 people lost their lives in road accidents across the country. The number was 15,742 in the same period last year.

Notorious for the high road death rate, Fars tops the provinces with 1,265 deaths, followed by Tehran at 1,221 and Isfahan 1,051 deaths, Financial Tribune reported.

A closer look at the numbers shows road fatality rate in Fars Province was down 8.3% compared to the period last year. The number dropped from 1,379 to 1,265.

Figures in Tehran, however, show a 2.1% rise, from 1,196 road deaths reported last year to 1,221 this year.

Unfortunately, the death rate in Isfahan shows a noticeable 8.9% rise, from 945 a year ago to 1,05l.

Ilam, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and Ardebil provinces had the lowest fatality rates respectively with 139, 177, and 212 recorded deaths in the 11-month period.

Among the three, the death rate in Ardebil shows a 47.2% increase. During the same period last year, 144 road deaths were reported in the northwestern province.

Ilam and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad reported a slight decrease (respectively 0.7% and 3.8%) in the number of recorded road fatalities.

In the year before, 140 and 184 people lost their lives in road accidents in Ilam and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces respectively.

Traffic Police say sleep-deprivation (fatigue), speeding, overtaking from the wrong side, running a red light, talking on the cell phone, text messaging and munching behind the wheel plus low-quality vehicles and roads are the main killers on the roads.

Needless to say, motorcyclists and their dangerous driving habits also contribute to the increasing number of road victims.

Highlight: A comparative look at the LMO chart shows that during the period under study, 15,927 people lost their lives in road mishaps across the country. The number of fatalities was 15,742 in the same period last year.