A former Tehran Traffic Police chief pointed to economic hardship as a major factor in traffic violations and deadly accidents, especially among lower-income groups. Seyed Hadi Hashemi, interviewed by Khabaronline on March 7th, explained that economic problems combined with inadequate infrastructure contribute to 80% of traffic violations.
“Tehran’s Chalus road is nearly 90 years old,” Hashemi said. “In the past, 165 kilometers of highway could be built in two years. Yet, in the past 30 years, we haven’t even built 20 kilometers of freeway. Our highways lack proper standards because many started as secondary roads and were later upgraded.”
He argued that the speed and flow of traffic on these highways are unsafe, contributing to accidents and violations.
A Deadly Pattern Over Decades
Iran’s traffic accident statistics have been among the worst globally for the past two decades. This can be attributed to several factors, including:
- Poor and limited transportation infrastructure
- Lack of essential safety features in domestically produced cars
- Economic and psychological pressures on society due to government policies
- Poor driving culture
“The accident and death rate in our country is much higher compared to developed and developing nations,” Hashemi stated. He estimates the economic burden of accidents, including loss of life and property damage, to be several times higher in Iran than in developed or developing countries.
Fines Alone Aren’t the Answer
Regarding recent discussions about increasing fines for traffic violations, Hashemi emphasized that the effectiveness of such measures depends on other improvements, particularly infrastructure upgrades.
“Developed countries spend around 6% of the road’s value annually on maintenance,” he explained. “This figure drops to 4% in developing countries and 2% in poor nations. In Iran, however, only 1% of a road’s value is allocated for maintenance, which translates to roughly half a percent in practice.”
Hashemi argues that simply placing blame on the public is an ineffective and unscientific approach. “All aspects of transportation need to be addressed,” he said. “Raising fines without addressing other issues will not solve the problem.”
Grim Comparisons
The death toll on Iranian roads is comparable to the entire European Union. While Iran, Germany, and Turkey have similar populations (around 85 million), the other two countries have achieved significant reductions in traffic fatalities in recent years.
Despite Germany’s leading role in the auto industry and having over 50 million registered vehicles, it experiences far fewer road accidents and deaths compared to Iran. In 2022, Iran reported 19,500 traffic accident fatalities, while Germany recorded only 2,562.
Turkey, with a similar population and cultural background to Iran, and having 28 million registered vehicles, also has a lower death toll. Traffic accident fatalities in Turkey were around 5,362 in 2022, a decrease of nearly 100 from 2021. While Turkey’s death toll is almost double Germany’s, both countries have significantly fewer fatalities than Iran.
Statistics project that if the current 5% growth rate in traffic deaths from the past ten months continues, Iran could reach an unprecedented number of 20,600 fatalities in the next two months. This figure is alarmingly close to the total number of traffic deaths reported by all 27 European Union member states combined in 2022.
Tragically, between 2004 and 2021, over 351,000 people lost their lives in Iranian traffic accidents. Including an additional 27,000 deaths from 2002-2003, the total number of traffic fatalities in Iran over the past two decades is estimated to be a staggering 405,000. Every year, an average of 17,000 people die on Iranian roads, with approximately 3,000 being under 18 years old.
