Iraq Records 65 Traffic Accidents in First Half, Smart Camera Plan to Proceed

KARBALA, Iraq — The Iraqi Interior Ministry's General Traffic Directorate reported 65 traffic accidents recorded during the first half of the year, with a significant concentration of incidents on roads leading to Karbala. Of those, 34 accidents occurred on the Najaf-Karbala road, 17 on the Babil-Karbala road, and 14 on the Baghdad-Karbala road. Major General Mikdad Miri, director of the ministry's media department, announced the official statistics for the period. He noted that the total number of registered vehicles in the country surpassed 7 million as of January 1. During the first half of the year, more than 139,000 new vehicles and 1,795 new motorcycles were registered. The ministry confirmed it will continue implementing smart camera technology and modern systems under the General Traffic Directorate, dismissing any suggestion of backing away from the initiative.