KABUL (SW) – Afghanistan has witnessed 2,829 traffic incidents over the past six months, resulting in 1,141 fatalities and 3,717 injuries, officials reported.
Abdul Wadood Khairkhah, Director of Planning at the General Directorate of Traffic Police of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, attributes these incidents primarily to non-compliance with traffic laws, road conditions, and excessive speeding.
He emphasizes, “Around 2,829 traffic accidents have occurred, resulting in 1,141 deaths and 3,717 injuries; the majority of these incidents involve right-hand drive vehicles.”
Residents from various provinces, recently affected by traffic accidents, urge stricter enforcement against right-hand drive vehicles by traffic police.
Murad, a resident of Qaisar district in Jowzjan province, who lost eight family members in a recent traffic accident on the Jowzjan-Faryab highway, warns that failure to adhere to traffic laws by drivers will only lead to more accidents. He adds, “Carelessness of drivers and increased presence of right-hand drive vehicles are major contributors to these incidents.”
Rahyanullah, a resident of Nangarhar province, currently hospitalized due to injuries from a recent traffic accident, also supports stricter regulations for right-hand drive vehicles. He says, “We want authorities to restrict the movement of these vehicles on the Kabul-Nangarhar highway; they are causing the most problems.”
According to statistics provided by the General Directorate of Traffic Police of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Kabul had the highest number of incidents last solar month with 184, followed by Herat with 146, Samangan with 130, and Ghazni with 126 incidents.
