The measures taken by the Tehran traffic police and also the “good cooperation of the people” has helped bring down the rate of traffic accidents and deaths in road crashes in the current year (ends March 20) by 13% and 87% respectively, compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, says Teymour Hosseini, head of Tehran’s traffic police.
Among all cities, Tehran ranks first in reducing deaths by vehicle accidents, he said. Out of the 591 people who lost their lives in road accidents in the first 11 months of the current year, 167 were motorcyclists, 56 drivers, 254 pedestrians and 74 were passengers on board; 504 victims were male and 87 female, he said, quoted by Alef News Agency.
Also based on forensic statistics, 166 people lost their lives on the spot, 88 on the way to hospitals and 137 after arrival in hospital and medical centers.
Hosseini said the death of accident victims after their arrival in hospitals is alarming and raises serious questions. “Given the focus on treatment in medical centers, the latter must respond to the question as to why the number of deaths on arrival is so high,” he said.
There was a 10% decline in accident-related damages in the first 11 months of the current year, compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, he said, pointing to the “119% increase in the number of automated traffic infraction detector cameras.”
Measures Taken
Currently, 40% of traffic offenses are recorded by electronic cameras. “Our goal is to increase the number to 80% within the next three years. By then, traffic offences for “going reverse on highways, shifting lanes on flyovers, and plying in the third lane (speed lane) by buses and trucks, will be monitored automatically by detector cameras.”
Another measure taken by the city traffic police to increase people’s satisfaction was reorganizing the “no parking signs”; to increase parking space 6,000 signs were removed or equipped with timers.
According to data recorded by detector cameras, most of the speed violations take place between 1 and 2 am, he said.
Speed violation rate is also high between 6 am and 1 pm especially on highways. More than 1.26 million offenses occurred on highways during the 11 months. Preventive measures included arrest of over 298,000 violators for “committing two dangerous offenses” at the same time and suspension of driving licenses of 818 violators on 30 counts for a period of 6 months.
