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Road Safety

Kazakhstan Senator Proposes Restoring State Oversight of Driving Schools

Gennady Shipovskikh, a member of Kazakhstan’s Senate, has proposed restoring state oversight of driving schools, linking the initiative to a sharp increase in traffic accidents across the country. According to figures cited by the senator, the number of road accidents has nearly doubled over the past three years. In 2023, approximately 15,800 accidents were recorded in Kazakhstan. This figure rose to about 31,500 in 2024 and exceeded 36,000 in 2025. In total, more than 100,000 people were reported injured during this period. Shipovskikh attributes the worsening situation partly to reduced state supervision of driver training standards. At present, most driving schools in Kazakhstan are privately operated: of 727 institutions nationwide, 567 are privately owned, while 160 are state-run. He noted that regulatory changes in recent years have significantly altered the sector. In 2016, the licensing system for driving schools was replaced with a notification-based procedure, and in 2018, direct state oversight was abolished. He said these reforms have contributed to declining training standards and growing public distrust in the quality of instruction. As a possible solution, Shipovskikh has proposed reinstating an accreditation mechanism for driving schools. Under such a system, institutions whose graduates are repeatedly involved in traffic accidents could face the suspension or revocation of their operating permits. He also called for tighter monitoring of compliance with training requirements, particularly in the private sector, as well as the creation of a unified national driver training framework. He also highlighted the need to establish a centralized analytical platform to enable more detailed study of accident causes and to support the development of preventive policies. “We must not forget that behind every traffic accident lies a tragedy for families and society,” he said in remarks addressed to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. Alongside reforms in driver education, Shipovskikh proposed introducing modern traffic-management tools. Among these measures is the use of so-called “waffle markings” at congested intersections. These road markings prohibit vehicles from entering an intersection if traffic conditions prevent them from clearing it, thereby helping to reduce congestion and the risk of collisions. Such practices are already widely used in major cities worldwide and have proven effective in improving road safety. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Senator Zhanna Asanova had proposed allowing private laboratories to conduct medical examinations of drivers for intoxication as part of wider discussions on road safety policy.

Fatal accident

11-Year-Old Uzbek Girl Killed by School Bus in Brooklyn

An 11-year-old girl from Uzbekistan was fatally struck by a school bus on the afternoon of February 5 in the Bath Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Daily News reported. The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. at the intersection of Bath Avenue and 23rd Avenue. According to police, the girl was crossing the street when a yellow school bus turned into the crosswalk and hit her. She was transported to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The victim, later identified as Amira Aminova, had just purchased chocolate at a nearby store moments before the collision. Wael Alghithi, a 22-year-old employee at Bath Healthy Deli and Grill, told the Daily News that Amira was a familiar face. “She came in every day. She bought chocolate and a soda,” Alghithi said. “She left here and then the accident happened. She didn’t usually cross that way, and she was alone.” Alghithi stated that Amira was crossing Bath Avenue heading north when the bus, traveling south on 23rd Avenue, turned right and struck her in the crosswalk. He added that it seemed the driver did not stop immediately. “Maybe she thought he was going to stop for her,” he said. “It all happened very fast.” Surveillance video obtained by the Daily News shows Amira beginning to cross the street at a walking pace before breaking into a run as the bus approached. She appeared to attempt to outrun the vehicle but was struck as it entered the crosswalk. Later that evening, two men affiliated with Consolidated Bus Service told the newspaper that one of their vehicles was involved in the incident. “We’re looking for the exact location of where the girl was struck,” one said at the scene. Police confirmed that officers stopped the driver shortly after the crash. The driver, identified as Wawa Aurelus, was charged with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. The investigation remains ongoing. Amira lived just a block from where the accident occurred. According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Brooklyn resident Saykhuna Artikova, Amira and her mother, Zilola, had moved to the United States from Uzbekistan several years ago. The fundraiser, written in Russian, describes Zilola as a single mother who raised Amira on her own. “Amira was everything to her, the meaning of her life, her joy, and the most precious person in the world,” the page states. Zilola hopes to return her daughter’s body to Uzbekistan for burial. The campaign has raised over $33,000 to cover funeral costs, including repatriation expenses. Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in New York confirmed the child’s death in an official statement, extending condolences to the family and affirming its continued communication with Amira’s mother. The consulate also pledged full cooperation with relevant U.S. authorities and said Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions in the country stand ready to provide necessary support. A recent amendment to Uzbekistan’s law “On Burial and Funeral Services,” published on Lex.uz on February 5, allows for state financial support for transporting the remains of citizens...

Road Safety

Kyrgyzstan Tightens Traffic Enforcement, Mandates Retesting for Repeat Offenders

Kyrgyzstan has implemented stricter traffic enforcement measures aimed at curbing repeat violations and improving road safety. Under the new rules, drivers who commit three serious traffic violations within a 12-month period will be required to retake the traffic rules exam. Offenses triggering mandatory retesting include driving without license plates, failing to stop at the request of traffic police, exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h, failing to yield to emergency vehicles, entering the oncoming lane while overtaking, damaging road infrastructure, causing injury, and permitting an intoxicated or unlicensed individual to drive. The initiative is part of a broader set of reforms designed to enhance driver education and reduce accident rates. In a related move, Kyrgyz authorities have suspended all private driving schools until August 30, 2026. During this period, driver training will be limited to state-run institutions. The length of training has also been extended from 2.5 months to 10 months. Officials say the reforms are intended to eliminate corruption and ensure that drivers are properly prepared before receiving licenses. President Sadyr Japarov has been a vocal proponent of the reforms. On February 3, he visited the State Center for Registration of Vehicles and Drivers to observe the new testing procedures. He criticized the former system, noting that over 90% of students at private driving schools previously passed licensing exams despite inadequate knowledge. Since the introduction of more rigorous exams, the pass rate has dropped to 18-20%, a figure authorities say better reflects actual preparedness. Japarov emphasized the human toll of traffic accidents, stating that over 75,000 accidents in the past decade have claimed more than 9,000 lives in Kyrgyzstan. The president also spoke candidly about personal losses caused by reckless driving. In 2019, his eldest son was killed when a vehicle illegally crossed a double line and struck his motorcycle. Years earlier, his brother and sister-in-law died in an accident caused by a drunk driver. “There are thousands of such stories,” Japarov said, underscoring the urgent need for stronger enforcement and reform in the country’s road safety system.

Road Safety

Kyrgyzstan Suspends Private Driving Schools in Bid to Improve Road Safety

Kyrgyzstan has temporarily suspended the operations of all private driving schools as part of a sweeping reform aimed at improving driver education and road safety. On January 29, President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree introducing a trial period, effective until August 30, 2026, during which driver training will be conducted exclusively through state-run driving schools. The reform also mandates a significant extension of the training period from the current 2.5 months to 10 months. Authorities say the new measures are designed to reduce traffic accidents and eliminate corruption in the issuance of driver's licenses. As of 2025, Kyrgyzstan had 340 driving schools, including 74 state-run institutions and 266 privately operated ones. Officials cite systemic issues in the private sector, including substandard instruction, widespread corruption, and the illegal sale of licenses. Daiyrbek Orunbekov, Head of the Information Policy Service under the Presidential Administration, addressed public concerns over the extended training period in a Facebook post on January 29. He emphasized that the 10-month program is intended solely to improve driver competence and reduce accidents. “A driver who has acquired sufficient knowledge poses no danger to themselves, passengers, or other road users,” Orunbekov wrote. Under the new model, instruction will include both theoretical and practical training held two to three times per week, with each session lasting two to three hours. Some classes may be offered online. The curriculum will also cover psychological preparation and road ethics. In response to critics who argue that the current 2.5-month course is adequate, Orunbekov said that meaningful learning cannot occur in such a short timeframe. He cited international practices, noting that in many developed countries, driver training takes significantly longer. In Finland, the process can last up to a year and includes a probationary license period; in Germany, it ranges from six to twelve months; in Sweden and Norway, up to a year; and in the United Kingdom, Canada, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, it can take up to two years. The reform follows concerning national road safety data. In 2025 alone, Kyrgyzstan recorded 8,456 traffic accidents, resulting in 900 deaths and 12,169 injuries. Over the past decade, more than 75,000 accidents have claimed over 9,000 lives. According to Orunbekov, many current drivers lack even basic knowledge of traffic regulations and, in some cases, cannot recall where they were trained. He described this as a lingering consequence of a flawed and often corrupt driver education system.

Road Safety

Kazakh Politician Proposes Allowing Private Laboratories to Conduct Driver Intoxication Tests

Zhanna Asanova, a member of the Senate, the upper house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, has proposed allowing private medical laboratories to conduct examinations for alcohol and drug intoxication in drivers. The proposal was submitted as a parliamentary inquiry addressed to the government. At present, such medical examinations are conducted exclusively by state-run medical institutions equipped with laboratory facilities. However, Asanova argued that the capacity of this system is severely limited. Citing Almaty as an example, she noted that Kazakhstan’s largest city, with a population exceeding two million, currently has only two state laboratories handling all intoxication-related cases. This, she said, hinders the timely processing of examinations. Asanova emphasized that the current centralized model creates both procedural delays and corruption risks. The absence of alternative institutions undermines public trust in the objectivity of results and creates opportunities for abuse. “The remoteness and overload of laboratories mean that individuals remain in a vulnerable procedural position for hours, while police officers waste time and resources. This undermines the overall effectiveness of the law enforcement system,” she said. The senator also noted that citizens currently have no right to choose their testing institution or request an independent re-examination, which restricts their ability to mount an effective legal defense. Another risk, according to Asanova, stems from the heavy workload and outdated equipment in some state laboratories. These limitations can lead to procedural violations during sample collection, storage, and analysis, ultimately compromising the reliability of evidence presented in court. She also pointed out that existing equipment in state labs is not always capable of detecting a broad spectrum of psychoactive substances, including synthetic, combined, and toxic compounds such as so-called “salts”, which require more advanced testing technologies. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has a network of private laboratories equipped with modern diagnostic tools and staffed by qualified professionals, but their resources remain largely untapped within the current system. As a solution, Asanova proposed creating a new model that would allow accredited private laboratories to conduct medical examinations on equal footing with state institutions, and to include them in a unified national register. She also called for granting citizens the right to independently select a laboratory for repeat testing. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to reform Kazakhstan’s road safety system. Previously The Times of Central Asia reported that Senator Marat Kozhaev had proposed introducing an “idiocy test” for repeat traffic offenders as a potential basis for revoking their driving licenses.

Road Safety

Kazakhstan Proposes Digital Points System for Traffic Violations

Kazakhstan may introduce a digital points-based system to monitor and penalize traffic violations, enabling authorities to automatically identify repeat offenders, mandate retesting, and revoke driving licenses. The proposal was announced by Prosecutor General Berik Asylov during a recent meeting of the Law Enforcement Coordination Council. According to Asylov, noncompliance with traffic regulations remains a major cause of road accidents. He noted that 81% of those responsible for traffic accidents had previously been held accountable for multiple violations. For instance, in East Kazakhstan, one driver committed 32 infractions in a single year, including 13 speeding violations, before fatally crashing into oncoming traffic, killing himself and two passengers. A more striking case occurred in Almaty, where a driver with 72 violations over two years, including 30 for speeding, killed a pedestrian on August 30. To prevent such incidents, participants at the council meeting proposed the implementation of a digital points system that would automatically record repeat violations. Drivers who exceed a predetermined threshold would be required to retake their driving test. Chronic offenders would face temporary suspension of their driving privileges. Asylov also emphasized the need for stricter oversight in the issuance of driver’s licenses. “Cases of illegal acquisition of licenses will be considered a factor that increases the threat to society,” he stated. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, lawmakers have also proposed introducing mandatory psychological evaluations, dubbed the “idiot test”, for repeat offenders who systematically violate the same traffic rules.