Nine injured in four traffic incidents across Kalar and Kifri

SULAYMANIYAH — Nine people were injured in four separate traffic incidents in Kalar and Kifri districts on Friday, according to the Garmian Traffic Directorate.

One of the incidents occurred in Kifri and three in Kalar. The first crash in Kifri involved a collision between a motorcycle and a Toyota pickup truck. Both the motorcyclist and a passenger sustained injuries and were transported to a hospital.

The second accident took place in the Girdaguzina area on the way to Kalar, where a motorcycle crash injured both the driver and a passenger.

In a third case near the village of Tazade, a Toyota vehicle heading toward Sulaymaniyah overturned, injuring four people, including the driver and three passengers.

The fourth incident occurred near the traffic light close to the Kalar municipal headquarters, where a Mercedes vehicle collided with a motorcycle, injuring the motorcyclist.

The Garmian Traffic Directorate said all injured individuals were taken to hospitals and that investigations are underway to determine the causes and circumstances of each accident.

Traffic accidents remain a serious concern in the governorate. In the first half of 2024, officials recorded 111 fatalities. The Sulaymaniyah Traffic Directorate reported 1,047 traffic incidents in 2023, resulting in 153 deaths and 1,887 injuries.

To curb accidents, point-to-point speed cameras were introduced in the Kurdistan Region in May, 2023, starting along the Sulaymaniyah–Dukan road.

In May 2024, one year after the system’s introduction, officials reported traffic incidents had fallen by more than 50% in some areas. Nationwide, Iraq’s Ministry of Planning said traffic deaths declined 10% in 2024 compared with 2023, recording 2,719 deaths in 2,103 fatal crashes outside the Kurdistan Region. Men accounted for 82% of those killed.

Authorities continue to cite speeding, poor infrastructure, distracted driving, and weak enforcement as key causes of deadly accidents.