Concern at high rate of crashes in Asia

There is concern at the high rate of road crashes across Asia. An increase in vehicle ownership has seen congestion grow in many Asian cities. However some positive signs are being seen with regard to crash reduction. Vietnam in particular has made headway in lowering its annual road death toll, with compulsory use of helmets for motorcycle riders being one factor. There were 9,600 road crashes reported in Vietnam during January-June 2017, according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety. This was a drop from the same period in the previous year, when there were 10,236 crashes. Serious injuries from road crashes also dropped from 9,004 in the January-June 2016 period to around 8,000 in January-June 2017. Road fatalities dropped also from 4,363 to 4,134.

Positive signs on road safety have also been seen in Indonesia, with a drop in serious injuries and deaths from road crashes of 54% during the Idul Fitri holiday period following Ramadan. In the weeks before and after Indonesia’s 2017 Idul Fitri holiday period there were 2,707 crashes and 502 road deaths. This compares with 3,916 crashes and 1,093 road deaths for the same period in 2016. Tougher enforcement of road laws by the authorities is thought to have played a key role. The development of the country’s tolled highway network is expected to bring a further drop in road casualties during 2018, with safer new links replacing congested urban and country roads.

Cambodia’s crash rate is still a cause for concern however. In the January to June period this year there were 1,907 crashes, resulting in 931 deaths and 3,006 serious injuries. A report from the Traffic Police and Public Order Department highlights speeding, drink driving and other traffic law violations as the main causes of road traffic crashes.