Afghanistan’s Road Crisis Deepens: EMERGENCY Reports 78.5% Surge in Traffic Accidents, Scores Killed in Recent Crashes

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The humanitarian health organization EMERGENCY has raised the alarm over a sharp rise in traffic accidents across Afghanistan. Since August 2021, the number of reported road incidents has increased fivefold, while EMERGENCY estimates that between March 2022 and March 2024 alone, traffic accidents surged by 78.5%—jumping from 2,662 recorded incidents to 5,520. Poor road conditions, reckless driving, lack of proper traffic regulations, excessive speeds, and environmental hazards contribute to this rapid escalation.

Deadly Three-Day Stretch Leaves Dozens of Casualties

Within just three days—from December 18 to December 21—several fatal crashes shook various Afghan provinces:

1. December 18 (Late Evening, Kabul–Kandahar Highway, Ghazni Province)
   • Two separate collisions occurred along a 15-kilometer stretch. A passenger bus collided with an oil tanker while another struck a coal truck. These incidents claimed over 54 lives and left more than 70 people injured.
2. December 19 (Nangarhar Province)
   • Two passenger vehicles crashed on the Jalalabad–Hesarak road near the Memlla area, resulting in 3 deaths and four injuries.
3. December 20 (Nangarhar Province)
   • Early in the morning on the Jalalabad–Hesarak route in Surkhrood District, a collision between two vehicles left four dead and six injured.
4. December 21 (Badakhshan Province)
   • In Yawan District’s Shengan Alia area, a traffic accident took one life and injured two others.
5. December 21 (Southern Salang, Parwan Province)
   • A Corolla taxi traveling from Takhar to Kabul veered off the road in the Ghowara Sang area. Two people—including the driver—were killed, and three were injured. Local officials blamed driver negligence.
6. December 21 (Kandahar–Herat Highway, Helmand Province)
   • In the Dorahi area of Sangin District, three vehicles collided, causing two fatalities and four injuries. Officials pointed to speeding and driver carelessness.

These are only the reported incidents. Given the absence of a robust traffic police system in Afghanistan, many crashes go undocumented.

Systemic Issues Amplify the Crisis

According to Haseebullah Mukhtar, Director General of Traffic Police under the Taliban government, most accidents stem from driver negligence, speeding, and disregard for traffic laws. However, transport companies and the authorities also face blame. One victim’s family member, speaking anonymously, criticized both government agencies and private companies for failing to enforce safety standards. He noted that unrealistic travel schedules push drivers to treat long-distance trips like “flying an airplane,” leading to perilous speeds.

In response to the Ghazni collisions, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation announced the suspension of two transport companies—believed by local journalists to be Mirwais Nika and Bahman—though the government did not officially name them.

Infrastructure Shortfalls and Driver Negligence

Frequent travelers warn that deteriorating roads, lack of traffic signage, and inadequate road width have made Afghan highways a gamble with death. Abdul Jabbar, who regularly journeys between provinces, has witnessed multiple collisions. He cites a combination of high speeds, undertrained drivers, and poor road maintenance as the driving forces behind the spiraling accident rate.

Adding to these hazards, some long-distance drivers reportedly use narcotics, further increasing the likelihood of deadly incidents.

EMERGENCY’s Warning and Response

Established in 1994, EMERGENCY provides free medical and surgical care to victims of war, landmines, and poverty. Operating in Afghanistan since 1999, the organization reports that the closure or financial strain of smaller rural hospitals has reduced emergency care options for crash victims, leading to higher fatality rates.

EMERGENCY’s data from its Kabul-based facilities underscores the growing urgency of Afghanistan’s road safety crisis. With no significant drop in sight, officials and observers call for strict enforcement of traffic regulations, upgrades to road infrastructure, and public awareness campaigns to curb this alarming trend.