[Cambodia] Final tally sees road fatalities increasing

A treacherous final two months on Cambodia’s roads saw the overall number of road fatalities rise to 1,901 for the year, with 174 deaths since the beginning of November.

There were nearly 400 accidents during this period alone, bringing the total figure to 4,322 in 2013.

Pea Kimvong, head of education for the National Road Safety Committee’s safety campaigns, said that the high number of traffic accidents was attributed to the lack of government attention and law enforcement.

“After the election the government decreased the number of policemen enforcing the law on important busy streets, so there are not enough forces to control the traffic,†he said.

Kem Panha, director of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, referred to 2012 road accident data that showed that 68 per cent of the deaths on Cambodian roads were passengers on motorbikes, and two thirds of those deaths were caused by head injuries.

“People’s road safety knowledge, and their behaviour towards not wearing helmets, is a real concern,†he said.

Representatives of the National Police refused to comment on the road fatality figures yesterday.