Sulaymaniyah forensic data shows heavy toll of traffic accidents

SULAYMANIYAH, January 27 – Traffic accidents in Sulaymaniyah were the leading cause of death in the governorate of Sulaymaniyah last year, resulting in 140 fatalities.

The data, as reported by Sulaymaniyah Forensic Medicine Directorate and obtained by 964media, paint a grim picture of road safety in the country.

Of the 592 total deaths taken for forensics at the directorate last year, traffic accidents constituted almost a quarter.

More than 83% of those who died on the road were male.

Forensic physician Bakhtiar Rashid told 964media more than 40 were motorcycle riders who succumbed to severe head and neck injuries, largely due to the absence of protective gear.

Dr. Rashid stressed the urgency of heightening driver awareness about the dangers of speeding and disregarding traffic laws, lamenting, “Unfortunately, traffic accidents lead to numerous casualties.”

The Sulaymaniyah Traffic Directorate’s statistics reveal that 32,000 new vehicles were registered in the city in the past year.