380 Killed and 4600 Injured in September Accidents

The head of Iran's Road Police announced that in the 21 days of September, 380 people were killed and 4600 injured in road accidents. According to Tasnim News Agency, Mohammad Hossein Hamidi stated on Tuesday, September 22, that the death of passengers at 'the scene of road accidents' in September has decreased by 12% compared to the same period last year. Mr. Hamidi noted that based on expert analysis of road accidents, two main factors, 'overturning' and 'veering to the left' caused by 'fatigue and drowsiness, lack of attention, and illegal overtaking' were among the most significant causes of road accidents in September. September marks the end of summer travels in Iran, and during the Nowruz holidays, the volume of intercity travel and road accidents significantly increases. During this year's Nowruz holidays, about 380 people were killed on the spot due to traffic accidents. According to announced statistics, an average of about 17,000 Iranians lose their lives in traffic accidents each year. Masoud Habibi, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Youth Organization, previously stated that due to road accidents, an additional hundred people become disabled across the country daily. Since March 20, 2016, a campaign titled 'No to Road Accidents' has been launched with the aim of reducing road casualties, involving several official figures in Iran. Some traffic accidents in recent months, including a bus accident carrying soldiers traveling from a barracks in Kerman to Ahvaz, have received significant media and social media attention. The fall of this passenger bus into the Neyriz valley on the Kerman-Shiraz route left 19 dead and 33 injured. In this context, the overturning of the soldiers' bus in Neyriz resulted in at least 19 deaths, and 30 were injured in a collision between a passenger train and a truck in northern Iran.