Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In 2023, drivers who were deprived of their licenses were involved in 707 traffic accidents in Uzbekistan, resulting in 212 deaths and 546 injuries.

At a recent meeting in the Senate with the new head of the Road Safety Service (RSS), the need for stricter penalties for traffic violations was discussed.

Despite drivers without licenses constituting only 0.3% of all drivers, their involvement in traffic accidents accounts for 11% of all accidents in the country. Senator Kutbiddin Burkhanov highlighted that this situation not only causes suffering to victims and their families but also raises legitimate public concern.

He emphasized the need for focused efforts to prevent such incidents and proposed strengthening accountability through legislative changes.

It was also reported that during the first half of the current year, traffic accidents in Uzbekistan decreased by 7.6% compared to the same period last year, with fatalities down by 1.1% and injuries reduced by 9.2%. Despite these improvements, the number of fatalities and injuries remains high.

Senator Burkhanov identified pedestrian-related accidents as one of the most serious problems in road safety. He noted that in the first half of the current year, 58.5% of all traffic accidents involved pedestrians.

He criticized the lack of timely accident analysis, the absence of traffic lights at pedestrian crossings in high-traffic areas, especially near markets, and the inaction of local authorities, including mayors and councils. Additionally, a significant portion of the population also grossly violates traffic rules.

Analysis revealed that 20% of pedestrian accidents occur due to the lack of pedestrian crossings in necessary locations, while 19% are due to pedestrians deliberately ignoring traffic rules by crossing the road at undesignated points, even when crossings are nearby.

The Senator stressed that actions by drivers who ignore traffic signals or drive under the influence of alcohol should be treated as "particularly serious offenses," with the assurance of unavoidable punishment.

Kutbiddin Burkhanov recommended that the new head of the Road Safety Service (RSS) pay special attention to these issues.