Passenger Helmet Law Could Save Cambodia US$100 Million In Next Five Years

PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Bernama) -- Cambodia could save nearly US$100 million in the next five years if a passenger helmet law is adopted this year, Xinhua news agency reports quoting a study.

The study on the cost and life-savings of the passage of the passenger helmet law was conducted by the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation with an aim to persuade the Cambodian government to immediately enact and enforce a draft traffic law mandating passenger helmet use.

"If the passenger helmet law is passed in 2014 and enforced in the beginning of 2015, helmet use rates among passengers are estimated to increase from 7 percent to 55 percent in 2015 and by 5 percent each following year, reaching 80 percent by 2020," the study results showed.

"As a result, roughly 561 fatalities will be prevented, 10,572 head injuries avoided and US$98.6 million saved from 2015 to 2020," the study said.

Pagna Kim, AIP's director to Cambodia, said this analysis demonstrated why the new law was urgently needed in Cambodia.

"We encourage stakeholders, partners and the media to utilise this evidence in their advocacy efforts for the government to approve and enforce the draft law to reach the target of 80 percent passenger helmet use by 2020," he said.

Poeu Maly, secretary general of the National Road Safety Committee, said the study confirmed that the government was making the right move to have passengers, including children, mandated by law to wear helmet.

"The law is now moving forward and we are stepping up our efforts with hope that it will soon be approved and enforced as our goal is to save lives," he said.

Traffic accidents claimed 1,950 lives and seriously injured 5,670 people last year, costing the country about US$300 million a year.

"Two thirds of victims were motorcycle travellers and 66 percent sustained head injuries. Only 22 percent of the victims had worn helmets," Maly said.

-- BERNAMA