Friday, December 26, 2008

Cost of Helmet a Small Price: Expert

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
25 December 2008


As many as 90 percent of fatalities in road accidents are caused by head injuries, highlighting the importance of helmets, a safety expert said Thursday.

A helmet might cost $10, but it is worth it, said Sann Socheata, manager of the road safety program for Handicap International Belgium.

"There should be thorough thinking, that is it $10 that can cure one's head if there is an injury by road accident," she said, as a guest on "Hello VOA."

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday urged motorcycle riders to wear a helmet, calling traffic deaths a worse tragedy than AIDS or land mines and reiterating a no-exception helmet law.

Sann Socheata said Thursday that riders who are ticketed by police, who often impose unofficial fines, should obtain a receipt.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seriously, wear the damn helmets. It might cost you some money, but it can reduce the severity of head injuries if one gets into an accident.

Also, wear seatbelts too when in an automobiles. I noticed many people in Phnom Penh don't care to wear seat belts. In addition, drivers in Phnom Penh as well as others on the highways are pretty reckless and disregards any awareness of safety.

Anonymous said...

You don't need to wear helmet if you just drive slow and easy in a usual manner. We never had problem before we being exposed to Ah Pleu-oversea and their Hollywood movies.

Anonymous said...

Dont be jeluss to oversea peaple b cuz we smarter than you.7;03 you so dump and dont wear it let see when u get accident .
SMART OVERSEA MAN

Khmer Young said...

Thursday, December 25, 2008
Cambodian-Thailand Border Dispute has become exacerbated because of Chheang Vun
Who is Chheang Vun? This guy has weiredly appeared in his public affairs since he was a Cambodian representative at the UNs.

Recently, this guy proclaimed in the public and in front of the news agents that Cambodia has already allied with Vietnam in order to condemn the ongoing border land encroachment of Thailand. In the news, Vun also elaborated that if Thailand still occupies Cambodia border land, Cambodia will take this issue to the UNs as well as the international world.

What is happening to Cambodia now regarding its foreign policy in dealing border dispute with Thailand?

Primarily, we observed that CPP has tremendously exploited the border dispute of Cambodia-Thailand to gain its popularity in recent national election. CPP had also reprimanded Thailand that they will take this case to the UNs, but it has never obligated that statment.

Now it is occuring again that by allying with Vientam, CPP repeatedly reprimanded Thailand to raise the issue to the international communities. Vietnam might have gain huge popularity among some Cambodian people because they might understand that this country is so kind for them regarding dispute with Thailand. Is this CPP's nationalism policy? Or this is just CPP who is trying to legitimize Vietnamese domination in Cambodia?

As a young Cambodias, and I want to tell every Cambodian that, border dispute has become a useful tool for CPP and Vietnam to utilize for their benefits. They have used the international laws as their pretext, but why they have never implemented it.

Or because it is CPP who are so afraid of international laws particularly the stipulations of Paris Peace Agreement? CPP might not so afraid of international laws and Paris Peace Agreement, but Vietnam is so afraid of it because of its numerious illegal agreements with CPP, and the top incument CPP leaders have numeriously signed with Vietnam.

We are Cambodians are just their political tools particularly CPP's tool who is working for Hanoi. And we loss hope for the CPP to deal with Thailand by using international laws and Paris Peace Agreement.

Predictably, through Chheang Vun's public statement, Cambodia can deal with Thailand to settle down this border dispute unless Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam becomes the single strongest union to lobby Asian...

So this is the fate of Cambodia under CPP's leadership...

KY

Anonymous said...

Dear Mate

I do not support the idea of protecting people from being harmed or damaged in this way.

We have been lost and mimed from savage war over decades. However, I just want share my concern on how law enforcer implement their task. First of all, the quality of helmet. I am sure there will not be any agency control the quality of helmet both home made and imported. This goods is made in the country with low quality, it is broken easily just as if it drops from a holding hand. Its shrapnel is quite sharp that makes another injury. It is not helmet it is now called HELL MET.

In addition, the obligation of this wearing is imposed to driver only. Does the injury focus on merely driver? Of course not, everyone gets hurt.And it is more shocked to see a motor bike with little kids get accident on the street.

Last but not least the law enforcement in Cambodia is just only a swoop and impunity to powerful persons.

All in all, the law is superb but the way to implement and behavior change in important to educate the population.

Anonymous said...

Ah Jkout (7:54), if Ah Donut Maker culture are that smart, why so many of them being deported back here, moron?

Anonymous said...

9:11 AM,

You love to stereotype your own Cambodian people don't you? From you, it's always, "I'm this, I'm that", "I'm better than you", "I love my corrupted government as long as I can pocket some US $$$$$$", "You have power, why can't I? Now I need to put you down and take the power away from you!", "Lets look only today and not care about tomorrow". It's the attitudes that comes with people like you that have nearly destroyed Cambodian progress and culture.

Grow up dude and open your mind. You are such a child still.

Anonymous said...

7:03 AM,

Don't need to wear a helmet when driving slow and easy in a usual manner? Tell that to the person driving the speeding motorbike or out of control car that is coming straight towards you at high speed.

Yeah, you were driving safe, no helmet needed, slow and easy. But you can't always expect others to abide by the same manners or law...can you?

So wear your damn helmet!

Anonymous said...

yes, people in cambodia need to understand that helmet, when donned properly, can save lives. it's not about how authority enforce the law, it how people should think about the safety of their own life and others' lives as well. thank you.

Anonymous said...

So as bullet proof vest, if it's worn properly, it could save live too.

Anonymous said...

It's not about the money, it's about their looks or feel. The adults don't like the feel of the helmets on their heads. They feel suffocated. And the youngsters afraid to mess up their funcky hair. Come to Cambodia and check out their hair.ahhaha U have these young guys with a big ole mop on their heads and they're driving the motorcycles with one hand and another hand covering their hair so the wind doesn't blow it to one side.hehhehehe