Erbil police intensify campaign to deter phone use while driving
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Following multiple accidents caused by members of the public using mobile phones while driving, police in the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil have intensified an ongoing campaign to curb the practice.
Although there are laws on the books against drivers talking or texting on their phones, it takes only a few minutes on the road in Erbil to make it abundantly clear that such regulations have not been entirely successful.
In response, Erbil’s General Traffic Directorate has released several online and television public service announcements that describe not only the safety hazard it causes but also with a strong focus on the 40,000 dinar (a little under $35) fine anyone caught using their phone while driving will receive.
The head of the directorate’s legal department, Brigadier Sirwan Ali, told Kurdistan 24 that traffic police would be on the increased lookout for hob-nobbing and internet surfing drivers. As such, he said, it was a much better idea to avoid danger and repeated fines by pulling over to the side of the road if mobile use seemed immediately necessary.
As part of the campaign, traffic police allowed Kurdistan 24 to film an instance of them stopping a vehicle operator using his phone while moving at high speeds on Erbil's 120 Meter Road. The officer issuing a ticket explained to the driver the risks of distracted driving and repeated Brigadier Ali's suggestion about stopping the car before picking up the mobile.
This was part of a Kurdistan 24 program that aims, among others, to raise general awareness among local residents of the rules of the road and the risks involved in not following them.
Last week, Erbil Traffic Directorate began installing a new system for monitoring moving vehicle violations, including speeding and running red lights, at one of the city’s busy intersections.
Read More: Erbil traffic police install new system to log speeding, running red lights
A directorate spokesman, Fadhel Hajee, wrote on a social account that the new system of surveillance cameras can capture proof of up to three traffic violations at the same time.
He added that the system was installed at the traffic light on 40 Meter Road in front of Saad Abdullah Conference Hall.
He continued, “This system will have a significant impact on reducing the rate of speeding at traffic stops as they turn red,” and affirmed that traffic authorities would install it in other parts of Erbil if this test prototype proves successful.
Last year, about 600 people were killed in car accidents across the Kurdistan Region, according to traffic police statistics. In the first five months of 2019 alone, there were 185 deaths and 2,150 injuries.
Read More: Number of car accidents claiming lives in Kurdistan’ rising’ in 2019: Official
Another directorate spokesperson, Assad Karim, has previously told Kurdistan 24 that in the first five months of 2019, the directorate had recorded 700,000 traffic violations. At the same time frame, there had been a total of 1,750 vehicular accidents in total.
Additional reporting by Kosar Nawzad