TEHRAN (Iran News) – Head of Road Safety Supporters Society believes the road accident fatalities in Iran are 20% above the global average rate and bikers lead the fatalities list of road accidents in Tehran.

Speaking in a press conference on the occasion of the national day of transportation safety, Mohammad Bokharaee said that currently road accounts for 90% of the transfer of passengers and goods, and issues related to the transportation should be considered as one of the important factors of development.

He went on to say that the issue of boosting transportation safety and protecting human, social and economic assets as well as reducing driving accidents is considered as a big problem and national concern, and for this reason,  April 27 has been named as the national day of transportation safety and it is good opportunity all responsible bodies in the traffic and transportation industry in cooperation with the public and creative a nationwide and inclusive current to focus on the dangers and irreparable consequences of the driving accidents.

Bokharaee then pointed to the share of the transportation in the national economy, adding that today transportation and driving accidents have turned into a social and economic concern in the country.

He reiterated that the rate of road and driving accidents in Iran is 20% above the international average rate, adding that the country has reached a critical point regarding driving accidents and the society should be sensitive to this issue.

He pointed to the effective factors in the rise in number of the road accidents, adding that three factors of human force, road infrastructures and vehicles should be blamed 70% for the road accidents, adding that the low-cost and fastest  means for reducing the road accidents is culturalization among the people.

Bokharaee went on to say that bikers top the list of the road accident fatalities in the country and its number is considerable, and reiterated that bikers account for 25% of the road accident fatalities, and in order to reduce the accidents and fatalities, the Road Safety Supporters Society  pursues education, participation of the insurance companies and encouraging auto-makers not to produce unsafe vehicles.

He said currently some 3000 accident-prone areas have been identified in the country and they should be continuously reconstructed and reformed.  He noted that human force factor is still the main factor behind the road accidents and quality of the roads is just 10% behind accidents.

Then in the presser, head of Road Construction Companies Association Mr. Ali Azad blamed the quality of the asphalt in the roads, saying that in the past,  28m tons of asphalt sealer was usually used in the roads and today due to the rise in the length of the roads, some 9m tons of asphalt is used and this has lowered the quality of the roads in the country.

He stressed that roads and accident-prone areas are not the main problem in accidents but this is the drivers who should be blamed for accidents and human factor plays 70% role in the road accidents.