Highway Safety Enhancement Plan

The Syrian Future Movement is closely following the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management’s approval, on Monday, August 3, 2026, of a phased action plan to enhance safety on highways and land transport, following the tragic Deir ez-Zor-Damascus road accident that claimed the lives of 35 people and injured 30 others.

The plan was approved during an emergency meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters in Damascus, with the participation of representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Local Administration and Environment, Health, Transport, Public Works and Housing, and Information.

The plan includes identifying “black spots” (locations with high accident rates), conducting field inspections on priority routes, particularly the Deir ez-Zor-Damascus road, and implementing urgent corrective measures. These measures include increasing traffic patrols, enforcing speed limits, completing signage and lighting, and verifying the roadworthiness of public transport vehicles.

The participants also discussed the draft “National Guide for Road Safety and Land Transport,” prepared by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as a prelude to its adoption as a mandatory technical reference for relevant authorities. A proposal was also put forward to form a “National Committee for Inspecting Highways and Enforcing Safety and Civil Protection Requirements.”

The Syrian Future Movement notes that the approval of this plan carries three main implications:

First, it represents an official acknowledgment of the scale of the “death on the roads” catastrophe that is worsening in Syria. According to statistics from the Syrian Civil Defense, specialized teams responded to 1,412 traffic accidents from the beginning of 2025 until July 20 of the same year, resulting in 81 deaths and 1,299 injuries.

In 2026, accidents continued to reach high levels; June alone saw 540 accidents resulting in 25 deaths and 537 injuries, while July saw 516 accidents resulting in 64 deaths and 604 injuries.

This means that the daily accident rate exceeds 17 incidents, equivalent to approximately one accident every hour and a half.

Secondly, it indicates a shift in the government’s approach from reactive disaster response to proactive institutional planning.

Instead of merely managing the aftermath of accidents, the state has begun addressing the root causes of the crisis by identifying accident black spots, establishing a binding national guide, and forming a national committee to monitor standards.

We see this shift as a positive indicator of institutional maturity that deserves to be built upon, and we support and advocate for it.

Thirdly, it highlights the magnitude of the challenge facing the road sector in Syria. The Damascus-Deir ez-Zor road stretches for approximately 425 kilometers and currently consists of two lanes in opposite directions without a median strip separating the two directions of traffic.

Prior to this tragic accident, Civil Defense teams responded to 35 traffic accidents on the same road between the beginning of 2026 and mid-July, resulting in six deaths and 20 injuries. Response teams face difficulties related to the vast distances between populated areas, communication outages, and the inadequate equipment at some emergency centers.

In this context, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its consistent positions, published on its official website, which emphasize the priority of road safety as a fundamental right of every citizen:

1. The article “Road Safety in Syria: Crisis and Solutions” (dated August 2, 2026) provided a comprehensive analytical overview of the road safety crisis, presenting alarming statistics, structural causes, and challenges. It concluded with practical recommendations, including the establishment of a unified national database, enhanced traffic enforcement, accelerated road rehabilitation, and the launch of sustained awareness campaigns.
2. The article “Road Safety in Syria” (dated September 18, 2025) analyzed the road safety crisis from a multidisciplinary perspective, examining the deterioration of infrastructure, the weakness of vehicle safety systems, and the lack of urban planning.
3. The statement regarding the “Traffic Accident on the Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor Road” (dated July 26, 2026) expressed deep sorrow and pain following the tragic incident and called for improved road safety.

The Syrian Future Movement believes that while the plan’s approval is important, it faces major challenges requiring fundamental solutions:

1. The absence of a unified national database: There are currently no unified national statistics classifying roads according to the number of accidents or traffic density, hindering accurate analysis of accident locations, causes, and response times.
2. Overlapping jurisdictions and weak coordination: The responsibilities of the Ministries of Interior, Transport, and Emergency Services overlap, potentially leading to duplication or conflicting efforts, at a time when road safety demands a comprehensive approach.
3. Limited funding: Despite the allocation of half a billion dollars for road projects, this budget remains insufficient compared to the extent of damage inflicted on the road network during the years of war.
4. Weak road safety culture: Excessive speed, improper overtaking, and using mobile phones while driving remain common practices, reflecting a lack of awareness of their dangers.
5. The legacy of war on infrastructure: The state of the roads reflects the legacy of war, which left behind a dilapidated road network plagued by potholes, subsidence, and a lack of basic traffic safety features.

Based on its national responsibility to monitor the progress of state-building and the strengthening of its institutions, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:

1. Establishing a unified national database for traffic accidents, linking various stakeholders, and enabling the analysis of accident locations, causes, and response times, thus serving as an effective tool for developing preventative policies.
2. Immediately activating the “National Committee for Highway Inspection,” clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of participating entities and establishing a matrix of tasks assigned to each ministry.
3. Accelerating the pace of road rehabilitation, focusing on the most dangerous routes, particularly the Deir ez-Zor-Damascus highway, which requires urgent emergency repairs and comprehensive rehabilitation.
4. Strengthening traffic enforcement, updating legislation, and imposing stricter penalties for serious traffic violations, while investing in smart cameras and monitoring devices and developing a points system for traffic violations.
5. Launching sustainable awareness campaigns that extend beyond seasonal events and become part of school curricula and educational programs.c) Vocational training, with the aim of instilling a culture of safe driving from a young age.
6. 2) Strengthening regular vehicle maintenance through mandatory periodic inspections, especially for vehicles used in public transportation and trucks, while tightening controls on overloading.

The Syrian Future Movement appreciates this government step, which enhances safety standards on the national road network, and sees it as a serious response to a humanitarian catastrophe no less dangerous than any natural or security disaster.

We reiterate that road safety is a fundamental right for every citizen and an indicator of the state’s respect for the lives of its citizens.

We also believe that a life lost on the roads is an irreplaceable loss, and every accident that can be prevented is a step towards a safer and more stable Syria.

The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that the success of this plan depends on serious implementation, transparent follow-up, and the political will to bring about real change.

For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will remain supportive of everything that enhances public safety, critical of everything that hinders its achievement, and monitoring everything that is accomplished on the ground, striving for a new Syria in which safety prevails on its roads as well as in its institutions.