Iraq leads the world in road accidents
A crashed car on the side of the road in Iraq. Photo: Shafaq News
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The director of the Operations and Emergency Medical Services Department at the Iraqi Ministry of Health, Fadel Al-Rubaie, confirmed on Tuesday that Iraq leads the world in the number of daily road accidents, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Al-Rubaie explained that the number of fatalities resulting from road accidents reached 4,863 cases in 2021.
The Iraqi official stated that the daily average rate of road accidents reached 13 people during the past year.
Al-Rubaie explained that the capital, Baghdad, witnessed the highest numbers of road accidents, followed by Babylon governorate.
Al-Rubaie pointed out that Dhi Qar governorate has the highest number of non-fatal injuries, followed by Diyala governorate.
Al-Rubaie mentioned that a report on road accidents in 2021 revealed that car users and pedestrians represent the highest percentage of fatal injuries, followed by motorcyclists.
The report indicated that the majority of road accidents in Iraq are caused by high speed driving and the use of mobile phones while driving.
Decades of sanctions, civil strife, and corruption have left the country’s infrastructure, including roads, in dire conditions, according to Kurdistan 24.
In April, 14 people were killed in a single traffic accident, Kurdistan 24 mentioned.