Assistant teacher. Shlear Hishmat Qasem

Abstract

Traffic accidents represent one of the most serious and prominent urban problems facing modern and contemporary cities، due to their severe and far-reaching human، economic، and social impacts، which directly and significantly affect individuals’ lives and societal stability. This problem is particularly evident in cities with high population density and intensive traffic movement، including the study area. The aim of this study is to highlight the most common types of traffic accidents affecting the city of Baghdad، in addition to examining the risk indicators associated with traffic accidents and analyzing the factors contributing to their occurrence. The study also proposes a set of measures to enhance traffic safety and reduce the negative impacts of traffic accidents on society. This study adopts the descriptive–analytical approach in collecting and analyzing data، relying on official statistics and reports issued by the Ministry of Planning and the General Traffic Directorate، as well as analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of traffic accidents within the city. Particular emphasis is placed on human factors، especially non-compliance with traffic regulations and excessive speeding. The results indicate that human factors constitute the largest proportion of traffic accident causes، followed by factors related to road infrastructure، such as poor street and road design، insufficient traffic signs، and lack of regular maintenance. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to develop the traffic safety system in the city of Baghdad through the enforcement of strict traffic laws، the adoption of smart traffic monitoring systems، and the improvement of street and road infrastructure، in addition to promoting traffic awareness within the community، in order to achieve a safer، more conscious، and sustainable traffic environment.