Dolatabadi: Driving Statistics 'Under the Influence' in Tehran Are Alarming

The Tehran prosecutor described the statistics of driving under the influence of 'intoxication and alcohol consumption' in the capital as 'notable' and 'alarming', announcing that 2,900 cases were filed in this regard last year. According to ISNA news agency, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said on Tuesday, April 24, 'During visits to the two courts of guidance and traffic, we encountered significant statistics on driving while intoxicated that require analysis, review, and appropriate measures.' He reported that there were 2,900 cases of 'driving under the influence' in Tehran last year and called this figure 'alarming'. Mr. Dolatabadi, speaking at a meeting of the Tehran Prosecutor's Deputy Council, urged Tehran's courts to 'take managerial measures along with planning' to 'combat such crimes'. Iran has one of the highest traffic accident death tolls in the world, with 16,872 people killed in traffic accidents in 2014, according to the country's forensic medicine organization. However, there are no statistics on the number of accidents in Iran caused by alcohol consumption by drivers. According to Taghi Mehri, the head of traffic police, the 'highest fine' for those driving while intoxicated has been set at 400,000 tomans by the Iranian government. Additionally, the punishment for consuming alcoholic beverages in Iran is 80 lashes, and after two executions of this punishment, repeated alcohol consumption can lead to execution. Previously, Iranian media quoted Ali Akbar Siari, Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, reporting an annual consumption of 420 million liters of alcohol in the country. The consumption of non-standard and smuggled alcoholic beverages has repeatedly led to deaths or loss of eyesight for several consumers in Iran. In 2013, over 350 people in several cities in Kerman province, including Rafsanjan, were poisoned due to drinking counterfeit alcoholic beverages, resulting in seven deaths. In December 2014, it was reported that in just seven months leading up to that date, 53 people in Iran lost their lives due to 'alcohol abuse'.