Tuz Khurmatu: volunteers install safety markers on crash-prone stretch of road

TUZ KHURMATU — A group of young volunteers and activists have installed reflective road studs and phosphorescent markers near the southern entrance of Khurmatu district on the Kirkuk–Baghdad main road, citing repeated fatal accidents and a lack of official response.

The work was carried out near the Suleiman Beg subdistrict, a stretch of road long known for serious crashes that have killed and injured dozens of people. Participants said the initiative came after multiple appeals to local authorities to improve road safety went unanswered.

Mohannad Taha, an activist involved in the effort, told 964media the move was driven by urgency. “Out of a sense of responsibility, along with a number of young people from the district, we took the initiative to provide and install reflective road studs and phosphorescent markers at locations that have seen the highest number of traffic accidents,” he said.

He said the markers are intended to improve nighttime visibility and reduce the risk of collisions. “This step is aimed at reducing traffic accidents and protecting the lives of citizens,” Taha added.

The volunteers said they plan to continue installing safety markers in other high-risk areas and urged authorities to support the effort by implementing permanent road safety measures. According to local accounts, more than 10 people have been killed since the beginning of the year in traffic accidents on the Kirkuk–Baghdad highway.

The road has a long record of deadly crashes. Over the past year, multiple fatal accidents have been reported along the route, including a recent collision near Khalis that killed eight people and injured two others, according to traffic officials. Other incidents have left several drivers, passengers and families dead or seriously injured, underscoring what residents describe as a persistent lack of safety infrastructure on one of Iraq’s busiest highways.