The National Police have reported that while the number of traffic accidents in the first six months of 2024 fell when compared to last year’s figures, the number of deaths and injuries rose slightly.

From January to the end of June, 1,534 accidents were recorded. They resulted in 793 deaths (an increase of 37 or 5 per cent) and 2,116 injuries (an increase of 44 or 2 per cent), said the report.

The total number of crashes was 14 less than the same period in 2023.

According to the report, the leading cause of accidents was speeding, at 40 per cent, followed by a failure to give way, at 24 per cent.

It added that 49 per cent of the incidents were the responsibility of a motorcyclist, while the drivers of light vehicles were judged to have caused 31 per cent of crashes. The operators of heavy vehicles were considered liable in 11 per cent of accidents, while other vehicles accounted for seven per cent of the recorded crashes. Pedestrians were adjudged responsible for just one per cent.

Motorcyclists made up 79 per cent of the fatalities, with 67 per cent of the deceased riders not wearing a helmet. There were 450 accidents recorded in Phnom Penh, 130 in Kandal province and 129 in Preah Sihanouk provinces.

While presenting the findings of the report to a July 3 meeting, General Sar Thet, National Police chief, ordered the tightening of traffic law enforcement throughout the Kingdom, along with increased educational measures.

He acknowledged that educational outreach programmes alone would not reduce the road toll, and ordered the capital-provincial police to step up enforcement immediately.

“I believe that in order to reduce the accident rate, there is no better measure than increased law enforcement. However, we must not give up on disseminating the law to road users,” he said.

He noted that unfortunately, even though the Kingdom’s traffic rules have been widely shared ever since they came into force many years ago, many people still do not understand their importance, and only obey the laws out of fear of being fined by the police.

Thet also explained that the implementation of traffic enforcement laws must be carefully examined. It must be done openly, especially regarding speed restrictions and alcohol controls.

He ordered all capital-provincial police forces to devise clear enforcement plans in accordance with his instructions and noted that the National Police will follow these up on a regular basis.

“Before enforcing the law, [police] should first share the law through various means, especially social media,” he said.

Chev Hak, deputy chief of the National Police in charge of public order, announced at a recent press conference that night time traffic enforcement would continue across the country, especially regarding testing drivers for alcohol.

“When we restrict drivers from operating their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol, we observe that the number of accidents decreases,” he said. 

Kim Pagna, country director of the traffic safety non-profit AIP Foundation in Cambodia, could not be reached for comment on July 3.