A scene of traffic guidance being provided to students at Rayen School in Harir.
Officials report decline in accidents
Harir district launches traffic safety education in schools to reduce accidents
ERBIL – Traffic awareness teams in Harir district, Erbil Governorate, are conducting educational sessions at local schools to familiarize students with traffic signs and safety guidelines, according to local traffic officials.
The latest initiative took place at Rayen School, where students received instruction on how to avoid road accidents and navigate traffic safely.
Ahmed Youssef Ali, head of Harir district’s traffic department, told 964media that the teams prioritize school visits at the start of the second semester of the academic year, especially targeting primary schools, to provide comprehensive traffic safety education.
The 2025 academic calendar for the Kurdistan Region indicates that first-semester exams were held from Jan. 8 to Jan. 18, with students on break from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25. The new semester began on Sunday.
“These activities in the schools, along with the installation of surveillance cameras, have had a positive impact on reducing traffic incidents,” Ali said.
The traffic department plans to extend these educational programs to all schools in the district as part of its ongoing awareness campaign.
Statistics from Harir’s traffic department reveal a steady decrease in traffic accidents over the past three years. In 2022, the district recorded 225 incidents involving vehicle collisions, overtaking violations, and pedestrian runovers. The number dropped to 176 in 2023 and further declined to 160 in 2024.