ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Traffic accidents in Iraq’s Dhi Qar province are increasing at an alarming rate, with major differences between official reports raising concerns about accuracy and accountability.

Dr. Mustafa Jalood, director of Nasiriyah Teaching Hospital, told The New Region that emergency rooms at the hospital treated more than 450 people injured in traffic accidents during March 2025 alone.

He said over 200 of those injuries happened during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, when traffic on highways and main roads spiked. Medical staff worked around the clock to help the injured. “These injuries ranged from minor to serious,” Jalood said. “The total number of traffic accident injuries in 2024 exceeded 5,600. This is a big number that we cannot ignore.”

Police numbers tell a different story

In contrast, Dhi Qar Police Command reported different statistics at their 12th Criminal Security Conference. According to the police, there were only 452 traffic accidents in all of 2024, resulting in 168 deaths, including 42 women, and 487 injuries, 57 of them women.

The differences between the police and hospital numbers suggest poor coordination between health and security agencies or different methods of reporting and recording data. Experts warn this could impact efforts to solve the problem.

Police officials said the main causes of accidents include poor road conditions, unsafe vehicles, and drivers breaking traffic laws.

A report from Iraq’s Central Bureau of Statistics showed there were 532 traffic accidents in Dhi Qar in 2023. While that shows a 15% decrease in 2024, officials say the numbers are still too high and need serious attention.

Driver error a major cause

Col. Moayad Hameed, director of media at the Dhi Qar Traffic Department, told The New Region that human error is responsible for about 85% of traffic accidents in the province. He said poor roads cause about 5% and faulty vehicles about 10%.

“Most crashes happen because the driver isn’t paying attention, using a phone, or driving too fast,” Hameed said.

He added that the Interior Ministry has started installing speed radar systems on highways. The traffic department is also running public safety campaigns in schools, markets, and other public areas.

Three accidents in one night

As an example of the danger, three back-to-back accidents took place in southern Dhi Qar on one Saturday night.

The first crash happened on the highway between Nasiriyah and Basra when a Dodge Charger and a Savana bus collided due to high speed. Five people were injured.

Soon after, wooden planks fell from a truck in the same area, causing a Tahoe vehicle to flip over, injuring four more people.

The third crash happened south of Nasiriyah when a vehicle’s tire exploded, causing the driver to lose control and hit another car. Three people were hurt.

More women behind the wheel

The Dhi Qar Police Department said over 49,000 driving licenses were issued in 2024. More than 4,500 of them were for women, a sign of increasing female participation in driving.

Officials say that additional resources should be provided to assist these new drivers in acclimatizing to driving and familiarizing themselves with the rules of the road.