Nearly 29,000 people injured in Kazakhstan road crashes in eight months

Kazakhstan recorded 28,939 road-accident injuries and 1,230 deaths in the first eight months of the year, according to figures from the Prosecutor General’s Office’s Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Accounts.

Urban areas accounted for 18,123 crashes, far more than national highways, which recorded 1,982. Regional roads saw 708 accidents, while local district roads recorded 398. In cities and other populated areas, crashes caused 23,150 injuries and 1,002 deaths.

Pedestrian collisions remained the most frequent type of accident. Authorities recorded 7,831 such crashes, causing 7,908 injuries and 290 deaths. Head-on collisions ranked second, with 7,078 incidents, 11,609 injuries and 464 fatalities. The statistics also listed 1,294 vehicle rollovers, 1,069 side-impact collisions and 745 rear-end crashes.

Failure to yield the right of way to pedestrians or other road users appeared in 5,097 cases. Improper maneuvering contributed to 4,603 crashes, while speeding featured in 2,603. Authorities recorded 171 crashes involving drunk driving, resulting in 335 injuries and 16 deaths. In 43 of those cases, intoxication and speeding were both identified as contributing factors. The figures also included 3,292 other traffic violations, 1,539 failures to follow road signs or markings, and 1,520 violations of intersection or road-crossing rules.