Traffic police step up drunk driving checks on Kirkuk-Baghdad highway

KIRKUK — Drivers caught under the influence of alcohol or narcotic substances on the Kirkuk-Baghdad highway will face a 500,000-dinar ($350) fine, a one-year prison sentence and the withdrawal of their driving licenses, the external traffic directorate said.

For several days, external traffic police have been stationed along the Kirkuk-Baghdad route and at the southern Tuz Khurmatu checkpoint, using special devices to test drivers’ breath.

Mueyed Abbas, head of the local external traffic directorate, told 964media that “after a long wait, the General Traffic Directorate provided us with these devices to check drivers who consume alcoholic or narcotic substances.”

He added, “Some drivers drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, putting their own lives and the lives of others at risk. We aim to put an end to this practice.”

Abbas said any driver found using these substances will be fined 500,000 dinars, sentenced to one year in prison and have their driving license revoked. He said more than 10 drivers have already been penalized and that the campaign will continue.

Traffic accidents remain a major public safety concern across Iraq. Data from the Ministry of Planning shows traffic fatalities dropped 10% in 2024 compared with the previous year. The ministry’s annual report recorded 11,763 traffic incidents in areas outside the Kurdistan Region, including 2,103 fatal crashes that left 2,719 people dead.