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Abstract
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Iran, one of the most populous countries in the Middle East, with more than 80 million people, grapples with road traffic injuries that have become the second leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in the country, excluding COVID-19.
Despite upstream national policies aiming for an annual reduction of road deaths by 10%, there was a disconcerting 15% increase in fatalities in 2022, compared with 2019.
This alarming change is exacerbated by a 27% rise in crash fatalities involving motorcycles, mostly driven by high car prices and urban traffic congestion. The economic cost of road traffic crashes in 2022 reached unprecedented levels, constituting about 6% of Iran's gross domestic product (GDP), nearly equalling the share of health sector costs from GDP between 2000 and 2023. This cost poses a severe threat to key sectors, such as health care and insurance. Immediate attention is imperative to curb the escalating human and financial costs associated with road traffic crashes in Iran.
Compounding these challenges is the demographical structure, where a substantial portion of the population is younger than 30 years. This demographical composition accentuates the urgency of addressing road safety and underscores the potential for effective policies targeting the younger demographic to yield long-term benefits. An examination of historical efforts reveals that existing measures have fallen short of curbing the rising tide of road traffic incidents in the country (as per the Road, Housing & Urban Development Research Center). The policies outlined in the first Decade of Action and National Action Plan have not produced the desired outcomes with numbers of road traffic injuries continuing to paint a grim picture.
Challenges faced by the automotive industry, which contributes 3ยท5% to Iran's GDP, are multifaceted. Economic sanctions, governmental dependence, potential for corruption, and neglect of safety research in car production contribute to a mismatch between pricing and import policies. A transparent and accountable approach is absent, hindering the production of quality cars and undermining the effectiveness of existing safety measures.
The two less elaborated challenges in the history of Iranian road safety are the absence of an evidence-informed policy-making framework, and the undermined role of the health sector in road safety promotion largely ignoring this sector's capacity in areas other than post-crash emergency care services. Even the post-crash health-care services have not been comprehensive enough to systematically address some post-discharge consequences of road traffic injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and disabilities.8
Looking towards the future, as the second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-30) unfolds, a crucial opportunity emerges to redirect efforts and institute transformative change. Placing road safety at the forefront of the political agenda is paramount...
Language: en |