Michel Matran, the founder of the Traffic Control Room in Lebanon, warned about the rise in traffic collisions, describing them as having the highest victim count in the world. Matran stated on his personal Twitter account, "The Traffic Control Room is turning into an obituary, and the death of 5 people daily in a country with a population of 6 million means we are losing 30 people per 100,000, indicating that we are leading the world in traffic accident fatalities."
In response to this shocking tweet, traffic safety expert Kamal Ibrahim told "Sky News Arabia": "If we calculate the number of fatalities in Lebanon per day, 5 victims would equal 150 in a month, which amounts to 1800 victims per year."
He continued, "According to the latest reports from the World Health Organization, this figure is extremely high and leads the world in traffic accident casualties." Ziad Akl, founder of the "Yaza" association dedicated to raising awareness about traffic accidents, described the high rates of traffic incidents as "alarming."
Akl added in an interview with "Sky News Arabia": "The condition of the roads in Lebanon has worsened due to increased excavation work on all roads, in addition to the theft of manhole covers that are sold in the scrap market, leading to sudden holes in front of drivers." Akl noted that "the danger has increased due to traffic lights malfunctioning at intersections, especially in the streets of Beirut, worsened by the reduced purchasing power of the relevant authorities amid the rising dollar price."
Akl explained that "traffic safety has not been taken seriously at all; we are facing a complete standstill in this sector, and we have returned to the 1990s, especially after the cessation of mechanical inspections of vehicles, which indicates a dire failure of the state to fulfill its duties."
It is worth noting that traffic accidents in Lebanon have been impacted by the economic crisis due to lack of lighting on main streets, with individual efforts made to illuminate streets using solar energy. Additionally, traffic laws have not been updated in decades, and financial penalties are very weak and ineffective.
