(Photo: DAP news)By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02 April 2010
Cambodia’s economy lost nearly $250 million to traffic accidents in 2009, officials said Friday, calling traffic fatalities a second “disaster” behind HIV and AIDs.
More than 1,700 people died in road accidents in 2009, a number twice as high as five years ago, Toch Chan Kosal, secretary of state for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, told reporters Friday.
The number of total reported accidents last year was 21,519, killing 1,717 people and seriously injuring another 7,022, he said, releasing study figures.
Handicap International said the accidents cost Cambodia $248 million.
“The lost money is a greater amount than we had guessed, as the Cambodian government is working hard to reduce poverty,” Toch Chan Kosal said. “We have not reduced the effects of traffic accidents.”
“The number of deaths in traffic accidents continues to increase, year to year, without stopping,” he said.
Accidents were caused by vehicles traveling at high speeds and limited knowledge among drivers, Jeroen Stol, president of Handicap International, said.
Statistics suggest that accidents are getting deadlier. A joint study by Handicap International and the government found that in 2008, the number of wounded fell 17 percent, but the number of fatal accidents rose 4 percent.
However, the study also showed that the number of accidents measured per 10,000 vehicles was decreasing, from 15.1 in 2008 to 12.3 in 2009. The government has established a national policy to reduce the numbers of accidents, victims and deaths and is aiming for a target of 7 deaths per 10,000 vehicles this year.
Nearly 80 percent of head injuries belonged to motorcycle drivers, and about 90 percent of all accidents were caused by drivers violating speed limits, drunk driving or illegally passing.
More than 1,700 people died in road accidents in 2009, a number twice as high as five years ago, Toch Chan Kosal, secretary of state for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, told reporters Friday.
The number of total reported accidents last year was 21,519, killing 1,717 people and seriously injuring another 7,022, he said, releasing study figures.
Handicap International said the accidents cost Cambodia $248 million.
“The lost money is a greater amount than we had guessed, as the Cambodian government is working hard to reduce poverty,” Toch Chan Kosal said. “We have not reduced the effects of traffic accidents.”
“The number of deaths in traffic accidents continues to increase, year to year, without stopping,” he said.
Accidents were caused by vehicles traveling at high speeds and limited knowledge among drivers, Jeroen Stol, president of Handicap International, said.
Statistics suggest that accidents are getting deadlier. A joint study by Handicap International and the government found that in 2008, the number of wounded fell 17 percent, but the number of fatal accidents rose 4 percent.
However, the study also showed that the number of accidents measured per 10,000 vehicles was decreasing, from 15.1 in 2008 to 12.3 in 2009. The government has established a national policy to reduce the numbers of accidents, victims and deaths and is aiming for a target of 7 deaths per 10,000 vehicles this year.
Nearly 80 percent of head injuries belonged to motorcycle drivers, and about 90 percent of all accidents were caused by drivers violating speed limits, drunk driving or illegally passing.
3 comments:
Land of NO planning,only live with frustration and disasters.
$2700/m, it is a joke!
Another scam!
Korean companies already packed the money and run.Now they try to recover their loss!!!
So many,with the money try to buy their children opportunity to live abroad.
Most of them can't stay and change habit ti become industrious, because they only have to live by their parent's corrupted money.
This is a real problem, and driving under the influence is a real contributor. Also, if you get injured in an accident, there are virtually no real emergency EMT such as exists in the US and other developed countries.
Traffic accidents and fatalities are very common in developing as well as industrialized nations. Cambodia, with its growing economy and the number of vehicle owners rising, there are potentials for traffic incidents to increase.
What Cambodia can do is better plan and manage its roads and highways based on the increase of vehicle volume. Also, people need to be more educated and vigilant about operating their vehicles. I know for one that many people in Phnom Penh don't even wear seatbelts when in a car. Many of the younger rich people as well as celebrities and the older elites don't obey signs or traffic laws because they think they are privileged and above the law. This means that they think its okay to drive drunk, go over the speed limit, drive recklessly and take the laws into their own hand. Law enforcement towards traffic incidents tend to be very soft on the rich elites. This is a big concern! I.e. Hun Sen's nephew, Cambodian generals, angry wives of CPP politicans, etc.
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