Traffic accidents: 178 people killed in past 3 months

KABUL (Pajhwok): About 178 people have been killed and 1,233 others injured in traffic accidents in 27 provinces of the country in the past three months, according to Pajhwok Afghan News reports.

More than half of the total casualties from traffic accidents happened in Ghazni, Kandahar, and Nangarhar provinces while nearly half of the total casualties occurred during the first three days of Eid-ul-Fitr. Men casualties were 11 times higher compared to children and women casualties.

The number of dead and injured people may be higher because casualties’ figures in this report are obtained from 106 traffic accidents which Pajhwok Afghan News has reported.

More than half of the total casualties occurred in three provinces

A large number of people were killed in traffic accidents in Sar-i-Pul, Baghlan, and Faryab provinces while a large number were injured in Ghazni, Kandahar, and Nangarhar provinces.

According to Pajhwok reports four people killed and 351 injured in Ghazni traffic accidents, in Kandahar six people killed and 311 injured, in Nangarhar six people killed, 164 injured, in Faryab 16 people killed, 49 injured, in Paktia six killed and 40 injured, in Baghlan 17 people killed and 39 injured, in Bamyan six killed 33 injured, in Zabul nine people killed and 31 injured, in Laghman two killed 30 injured, in Parwan three killed three killed and 28 injured and Maidan Wardak four people killed and 24 injured, in Jawzjan 23 people injured, in Badakhshan 14 killed and 19 injured, in Logar six killed and 15 injured, in Nuristan five killed and 14 injured, Daikundi eight killed and 14 injured, Balkh 13 killed and 14 injured, in Takhar two killed and 11 injured, in Badghis five killed and nine injured, in Kapesa six killed and nine injured, in Helmand two killed and seven injured, in Ghor five injured, in Farah five killed and four injured, in Kunduz one killed two injured, in Kabul seven killed, two injured, in Khost one killed two injured in Sar-i-Pul 24 killed and one injured.

Eid-ul-Fitr accidents:

According to Pajhwok reports 213 people were killed and injured on the first day of Edi, 230 people on the second day of Eid and 216 people on the third day of Eid.

Ezzatullah, a driver in Kabul, said traffic accidents and fatalities go up in Kabul during Eid because people travel from one place to another to celebrate Edi and meet families and friends. Sometimes individuals who are not drivers by profession drive the car.

He said: “In Eid-ul-Fitr we were five friends and went to Ghazni, Kandahar, Helmad and Herat provinces, it was a long drive and every one of us drove the car and others controlled the driver not to increase the speed.”

Traffic accidents victims:

Men casualties are 11 times higher compared to women and children

According to reports 1,295 men, 56 women and 39 children suffered casualties in traffic accidents in the past three months. The gender of 21 persons could not be ascertained in the report.

According to Safi men travel the most compared to women and children.

Abdul Wadoud Khirkhwa, the Traffic Department Policy and Plan Department head, did not comment about the traffic accidents and casualties in the past three months but earlier he told Pajhwok Afghan News that over 335 traffic accident had happened nationwide in which 185 people were killed and 409 others injured. Women and children were among the casualties.

Referring to the surge of traffic accidents during Eid he said that Traffic Department adopted strategy regarding precautionary measures and accidents control while taking in consideration the situation during the last Eid.

He said most traffic accidents happened on highways.

He linked surge in traffic accidents on highways with recklessness of drivers, dilapidated condition of road and added in urban areas these accidents took place due to increase in the number of vehicles, thin roads, lack of parking and congestion caused by vendors as well as reckless driving Referring to the highway accidents he said that some destinations are long and the drivers use hashish and opium to avoid sleepiness and this also result in the accidents.

“In order to prevent the use of drugs, 15 years ago, we prepared a guideline to prevent illegal drivers, and we sent it to the Ministry of Transportation, especially in the Department of Land Transportation. This guideline should be made available to all passenger and freight drivers, but unfortunately, It didn’t work.” He said.

Mohammad Nabi Afghan, deputy head of the Afghanistan Transportation Companies Council, There are many accidents happening on the highways and the main reason was the dilapidated condition of the roads like the areas in the southwest where the problems are so many.

He said the Islamic Emirate was told to give roads rehabilitation priority and seek private-sector consultation in this regard.

Afghan acknowledged the use of drug by some drivers during driving and said it was due to the lengthy destination and urged two drivers were needed for driving during the night hours.

Najibullah, who driver a bus on the Kabul-Kandahar highway for the past 12 years, said the dilapidated condition of the road and recklessness of the driver was main reason behind traffic accidents

He rejected the use of hashish by the drivers and said. During unstable condition, nobody could driver a vehicle for a lengthy destination.

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