Serious traffic accidents jump 13%; insurance claims top 77,000

2026-02-24 - 16:57

Muscat – Unaudited official figures released by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) show that insurance companies registered approximately 75,300 traffic accidents in 2025, compared to 75,200 in 2024 – a marginal increase of 0.1%. Compensation for traffic accidents exceeded RO79.8mn in 2025, compared to RO78.7mn in 2024, marking a 1.47 % increase. Of the total accidents reported last year, 54,271 – or 72.1% – were classified as minor, while 20,993 – representing 27.9% – were categorised as major. Notably, major accidents increased 13.2 % compared to 2024, signalling a qualitative shift towards serious accidents. The data also indicated that total traffic accident claims exceeded 77,000 in 2025, up from 76,500 the previous year, reflecting a 1% increase overall. Claims related to minor accidents fell 4% to just over 54,000, compared to 56,200 in 2024. In contrast, claims for serious accidents involving property damage rose to around 11,000, up 10% from 9,900 a year earlier. More striking was the increase in claims for major accidents involving injuries and medical expenses, which rose 17% to nearly 12,000, compared to 10,000 in 2024. Fatality claims also edged up – 342 cases compared to 333 the previous year, an increase of 3%. Compensation payouts included RO34.04mn for minor accidents, reflecting a 9.1% decrease; RO18.88mn for major accidents involving property damage; and RO22.47mn for injuries and medical expenses linked to major accidents – a sharp 26.67% increase compared to RO17.7mn in 2024. Conversely, compensation for fatalities fell 7.15% to RO4.45mn from RO4.8mn the previous year. The indicators point to a reduction in minor accidents but a clear rise in major accidents with higher financial implications. The marked increase in injury-related compensation underscores a shift in the nature of traffic risks and a mounting financial burden associated with more severe road accidents.