44,000 speeding violations recorded during Arbaeen pilgrimage

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Higher Security Committee for Mass Pilgrimages said Thursday that the General Traffic Directorate recorded nearly 44,000 speeding violations during the Arbaeen pilgrimage period using radar devices installed along highways.

The number marks a 50 percent increase compared with last year, attributed to the doubling of radar devices in 2025.

Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day mourning period after Ashura, the day Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The annual pilgrimage draws millions of visitors to Karbala.

Committee spokesperson Miqdad Miri said in a statement: “The General Traffic Directorate, through radar devices installed on international roads, recorded approximately 44,000 speeding violations during the Arbaeen period, which represents a 50 percent increase over last year’s pilgrimage.”

The directorate will continue monitoring violations and taking legal action against non-compliant drivers to ensure public safety and maintain smooth traffic flow, Miri added.

The directorate announced yesterday that it had seized more than 210 vehicles driven at extreme speeds ranging from 200 to 250 kilometers per hour during the pilgrimage.

The Higher Security Committee on Wednesday urged citizens and drivers to adhere to speed limits and ensure their vehicles meet safety standards. Seven people were killed and 43 injured Tuesday when a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims overturned between the Rumaila area and the Al-Sidra checkpoint in Basra.