Saturday, August 14, 2010

Government Unveils Traffic Safety Initiative

Traffic injuries are a major problem in Cambodia, where about 4 people per day are killed in accidents, according to a government report. (Photo: AFP)

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 13 August 2010


The government has unveiled a new set of measures to decrease the number of deaths on Cambodian roads.

The National Road Safety Action Plan calls for better designed roads, better law enforcement, better treatment of accident victims and other measures aimed at lowering the fatality rate 30 percent, or about 4,700 lives, over the next 10 years.

Nearly 1,000 people died on the roads in the first six months of 2010. That number is an apparent increase from the total 1,700 deaths in all of 2009.

The plan, devised by a multi-agency road safety committee, calls for increased funding and the development of expertise in order to improve road safety.

Improved safety will require better infrastructure, better trained drivers and speed and traffic flow management, according to the plan, released earlier this week.

The plan also calls for improved major national roads and the training of engineers for road safety audits and other oversight. It will target major risks, including speeding, driving without a helmet, seatbelt or child restraint and drunk driving. It will also target overloaded vehicles and improve the reaction time for first responders.

Other strategies include public education, road safety curriculum in schools and universities and peer-to-peer education. Education campaigns will be linked to law enforcement initiatives.

Under the plan, the Ministry of Health hopes to strengthen national emergency medical services, including first aid, transport, capacity of hospitals, mechanisms to manage the system and integrated information systems. Physical rehabilitation of the victim post-crash will also become a feature in the plan.

Traffic legislation will also need updated for modern traffic conditions, and the laws must be better enforced, according to the plan. This will include better drivers licensing in a database linked between police and the judiciary.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is an accident waiting to happen... This is a no no. They might get a few bucks saving but if accident happen. It will cost them hundreds times more or even their own lives or the lives of other people. That is why we need to regulate and enforce traffic rules. Only if the Cambodian government enforcing the rules, will they get to results they want to achieve.

Anonymous said...

An accident is happening almost every mininutes in cambodia these days? you can see this kind of overloads all over the street, and drunk driving is worst, most of driver do not have driving education? people just driving? no schooling? even the police themselves driving drunks? if you are not careful..specially at night time, the tractor called (KO YON) i almost hit the fucken thing couple of times already...they need to start having people taken driver Ed! 'm talking every drivers!! retest! retake exams!!

Anonymous said...

Those KO YON should have some kinda sticker or rear light? because you can see the fucken thing until you got very close to the damn thing..?

Anonymous said...

Its very easy to get driver license in cambodia, all you have to do paid some money, you don't have to spent time learning about the rule? or the law? just hop on and drive awayyyyyyyyyyyyy! crooked teacher and crookded police love money!!

Anonymous said...

They also need to catch people speeding also in cambodia...stupid people speeding and drive lawless..?

Anonymous said...

Annual inspection should be required for all vehicles to make sure everything is working properly.