ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Traffic fatalities and injuries in the Kurdistan Region have plummeted by 60 percent over the last five years, a senior official from the Region’s ministry of interior said on Saturday, attributing the sharp decline to the implementation of new traffic technologies.
"Over the past five years, traffic accidents have decreased, and we have been able to reduce the rate of death and injury by 60 percent," Hemin Mirany, chief of staff to the ministry, told Rudaw on Saturday.
The official specifically credited the drop in casualties to the introduction of "point-to-point" speed cameras. The system, which calculates a vehicle's average speed between two fixed points rather than at a single camera location, has been a cornerstone of the ministry’s strategy to curb speeding on major highways.
"These cameras have had a significant impact on reducing accidents," Mirany added.
Despite the overall decline in road tragedies, the official raised the alarm regarding a spike in motorcycle-related incidents. Mirani noted that the majority of severe accidents occurring in 2025 that required intensive care (ICU) involved motorcycles.
In response, the ministry announced a looming crackdown on unregistered motorbikes. "Motorcycles must get registered," Mirany warned. "Starting tomorrow, strict legal measures will be taken against any motorcycle operating without a license plate."
In an effort to modernize the Kurdistan Region’s transport sector and reduce carbon emissions, the ministry is also pushing for a transition to "green" vehicles. Mirany highlighted that hybrid cars are currently exempt from registration fees to encourage their import. He also urged taxi drivers to lead the way by switching to hybrid or fully electric models.
Road safety remains a primary concern in the Kurdistan Region, where high speeds and infrastructure challenges have historically led to high casualty rates. However, today’s figures suggest that stricter enforcement and automated systems are beginning to yield life-saving results.