More than 40 people lost their lives on Lebanon’s roads in August alone, with dozens more injured, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA).
The organization described the toll as “shocking,” warning that if accidents continue at this pace, the country could see over 1,000 fatalities in a single year, turning road crashes into a national tragedy.
Additionally, YASA noted that recent accidents have taken on “unusual patterns,” pointing to a sharp rise in truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, cars ramming into shops, vehicles overturning on coastal and mountain roads and frequent pedestrian strikes.
The association stressed that these incidents were not caused by weather conditions such as rain or poor visibility but rather by excessive speeding, the absence of mandatory vehicle inspections, weak enforcement of traffic laws and the proliferation of unregistered motorcycles. Other factors include dilapidated vehicles, poor road maintenance and the lack of street lighting.
“These combined causes have created what we can only call a ‘traffic massacre,’” YASA said, holding reckless driving and official negligence responsible for claiming the lives of innocent bystanders.
The association urged authorities to intensify efforts to find effective solutions, stressing that “those spared by the horrors of war should not fall victim to recklessness on the roads.” YASA concluded that stricter monitoring and better road safety measures could save countless lives, emphasizing that Lebanon’s roads must serve as pathways for work and daily life, not corridors to tragedy.
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