Road deaths

With 181 fatalities, Fars ranked first, while Isfahan and Khorasan Razavi provinces ranked second and third in traffic-related fatalities with 140 and 131 deaths, respectively, he lamented.

Ardebil (16), Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari (17), and western Tehran (17) had the lowest death tolls in road crashes happened during the summer, he stated.

He went on to say that Hamedan province, with 22 casualties, ranked first with the highest increase in traffic fatalities, while Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad and Kerman provinces come next, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

Pointing out that in some provinces the number of people killed in accidents reduced during the three past months, he said that East Azarbaijan, Kordestan and Isfahan provinces had the highest decline in road deaths with 33, 22, and 22 victims, respectively.

“Through the summer traffic scheme began on June 10, aiming to increase road safety and reduce car crashes during holiday trips, we have monitored 300 kilometers of the roads nationwide,” he explained.

He went on to regret that Friday, September 20, was the deadliest day of the week; as some 16 percent of the total fatalities have lost their live on Fridays; while Saturdays have the lowest road deaths.

He explained that during the aforementioned period, 65 percent of people were killed immediately at the crash scene, while 5 percent of deaths happened on the way to hospitals, while the rest lost their live in medical centers.

July 16 was also the deadliest day of summer; as unfortunately 52 people killed in road crashes, he regretted.

During the second and third months of summer, average speeds on the roads increased by 0.2 and 0.7 percent, respectively, he concluded.

Every year the lives of approximately 1.35 million people worldwide are cut short as a result of a road traffic crashes, WHO reports. Between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury.

WHO highlights that road traffic injuries can be prevented. Governments need to take action to address road safety in a holistic manner. This requires involvement from multiple sectors such as transport, police, health, education, and actions that address the safety of roads, vehicles, and road users.

Effective interventions include designing safer infrastructure and incorporating road safety features into land-use and transport planning, improving the safety features of vehicles, improving post-crash care for victims of road deaths in car crashes, setting and enforcing laws relating to key risks, and raising public awareness.