Tawfiq Saeed Hujair – Action Group
Frequent traffic accidents in Syria have highlighted the growing dangers of the unregulated use of motorcycles, particularly with the increasing number of minors driving them without licenses or adherence to traffic safety measures, amid rising injuries and human and material losses.
The Syrian Civil Defense, via its official Telegram channel, announced that its teams responded to 19 traffic accidents in the past 24 hours, resulting in injuries to 18 people. First aid was administered to the injured, who were then transported to hospitals. The Civil Defense also cleared the accident sites and secured them.
The Civil Defense urged drivers to reduce their speed, ensure their vehicles are in good working order, and avoid distractions while driving, especially using mobile phones.
In a related incident, the Action Group documented an accident in a town in the Damascus countryside near the al-Sabina camp, shedding light on one of the consequences of this phenomenon.
According to information obtained by the group, a motorcycle driven by two boys under the age of fifteen collided with a car entering an intersection at low speed. One of the motorcyclists suffered a severe leg fracture requiring emergency surgery, which cost approximately 9 million Syrian pounds.
The car driver, a Palestinian refugee from Syria, stated that his monthly salary does not exceed 5 million Syrian pounds and that he lives in a rented house. He indicated that the accident occurred despite his driving at a low speed and that the motorcyclists did not possess driver’s licenses or wear protective gear. Nevertheless, he found himself obligated to bear the medical expenses according to applicable legal procedures.
This incident highlights the widespread phenomenon of minors driving motorcycles, in the absence of adherence to traffic laws and safety procedures, and the resulting human losses and financial burdens that can affect all parties involved in the accident.
In many rural areas and towns far from city centers, the prevalence of motorcycles is noticeably higher, coinciding with less stringent traffic enforcement compared to urban areas. This contributes to many motorcycles being driven without proper licenses or helmets, and without adherence to traffic regulations.
These observations highlight the need to strengthen the enforcement of laws regulating motorcycle use, tighten controls on underage drivers, mandate the use of safety equipment, and intensify traffic awareness campaigns to help reduce accidents and protect lives and property.