Iran traffic police chief criticizes safety risks of domestic car production

Seyed Timor Hosseini, the head of Iran's traffic police (FARAJA), has criticized the prioritization of domestic automotive production over public safety. Speaking at an event regarding the capacities of the Mazandaran Free Zone, Hosseini stated that supporting domestic manufacturing at the expense of human lives is a “complete mistake.”

He emphasized that while human error is inevitable, vehicles must be designed with advanced safety systems to mitigate the consequences of such errors. Hosseini cited a tragic incident where a Peugeot 206 collided with a guardrail due to driver fatigue, resulting in six fatalities, to illustrate how inadequate vehicle safety can turn minor errors into mass casualties.

The remarks have sparked a social debate regarding the accessibility of safer, standardized imported vehicles. While the Mazandaran Free Zone currently offers certain advantages for accessing such vehicles, questions are being raised about why these safety standards and options are not available to citizens across all regions of the country.