In the wake of a surge in road accidents during the Norouz holiday period, Iranian authorities have increased fines up to seven times while the country endures an economic crisis.

Ahmad Shirani, the head of the Traffic Information and Control Center of the Traffic Police, disclosed to state news on Friday that the death toll from accidents during this year's Norouz festivities has risen to 585 so far, stemming from 484 separate incidents. 

Last year, the holiday period saw 1,168 fatalities, up from 1,146 in 2022, with one person dying in a road accident every half hour during the year in Iran according to local media.

“Provinces such as Kerman, Fars, Sistan and Baluchestan, Isfahan (Esfahan), Khorasan Razavi, and Khuzestan have been identified as hotspots for fatal road accidents,” he said.

Teymoor Hosseini, the head of the Traffic Police, revealed that fines will see a fivefold increase on average, with the highest hike reserved for driving under the influence, skyrocketing by sevenfold.

Law enforcement authorities, including Siavash Mohebbi, the deputy head of the Traffic Police, have pointed fingers at drivers with vehicle confiscations on the rise.

The blame game extends beyond drivers, with Iranian authorities consistently attributing accidents to factors such as inability to control vehicles, and driver fatigue. Reports have also surfaced regarding the substandard quality of Iranian-made vehicles and poor road conditions.

However, critics argue that the government's focus on penalizing drivers overlooks systemic issues such as the lack of measures to enhance the quality of car production and address the country's dangerous roads.