PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Interior, DPM Sar Kheng, has instructed the police and military not to demand money from people who come to retrieve their vehicles from the police station after settling the case of a traffic accident.

During the ceremony to summarize the results of road traffic safety work in 2022 and to set the work direction for 2023, held on Monday morning, 30 January 2023, at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, DPM Sar Kheng noted that some police officers demand money for the return of motorbikes and cars, even though the two sides involved in a traffic accident had already reached a settlement.

The DPM called on the relevant authorities to resolve this issue fairly and instructed the traffic police and the military police to be professional and moral, avoiding bad behavior that affects the people.

According to the report of the National Road Safety Committee, there were 2,976 road accidents recorded in 2022, which resulted in 1,709 deaths and 4,026 injuries (including 2,579 serious injuries).

Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Secretary-General of the National Road Safety Committee, Mern Manavy, said that the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents in 2022 were mostly recorded in Phnom Penh (272 deaths), followed by Kandal province (157 deaths) and Kampong Cham province (131 deaths).

According to the Secretary of State, 39% of accidents were caused by speeding, 24% by disrespecting the right of way, 11% by not driving on the right-hand side, 10% by trying to overtake a vehicle, 9% during turning, 4% because of drunk driving and 1% because of drowsiness.