Road accidents kill 556 people in Cambodia in Q1

PHNOM PENH - Road accidents had killed at least 556 people in Cambodia in the first three months in 2013, down 0.5 percent compared with the 559 deaths at the same period last year, the report of the Interior Ministry's public order department released on Monday.

Some 1,159 cases of road accidents were recorded during the January-March period this year, down 3 percent from 1,196 cases at the same period last year, the report said.

Besides the deaths, the accidents had injured 1,869 others, a decrease of 8 percent from 2,030 people, it said.

Preap Chan Vibol, director of the transport department at the Ministry of Public Work and Transportation, said most accidents had been caused by over-speed driving, alcohol driving, and neglect driving.

"However, we see that the situation is slightly improved - fewer cases, fewer deaths, and fewer injured people this year if compared to those of last year," he told Xinhua over telephone, attributing the slight improvement to the efforts by the government and concerned stakeholders in promoting about traffic law and consequences from road accidents.

According to Preap Chan Vibol, to date, the country has 351,450 registered cars, trucks and buses, and 1.82 million registered motorcycles.

Traffic accidents claimed 1,894 human lives in 2012. Minister of Public Work and Transportation Tram Iv Tek said last week tht the accidents cost the country about $300 million a year.