PHNOM PENH: The National Road Safety Committee has identified Phnom Penh and 15 provinces in Cambodia as those with the highest rates of deaths and injuries in the country.

The 15 provinces identified with the highest accident rates in the country include Kandal, Sihanoukville, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Kratie, Kampong Thom, Battambang, Pursat, Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, Kampong Speu, Takeo and Kampot.

The second National Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 highlights the main causes of high road fatalities as speeding, disrespecting the right of way, drunk driving, not wearing helmets, driving on the wrong side of the road, dangerously overtaking and turning vehicles, disobeying traffic signals and using communication devices while driving.

Royal Government Spokesperson, Phay Siphan, wrote a post on his Facebook page sharing that the national road safety action plan was approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday morning, 7 April 2023, adding that Cambodia aims to halve the number of deaths and injuries caused by road accidents by 2030.

The Spokesperson further shared that a study conducted by officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and experts from the UNDP found that Cambodia lost an estimated US $379.2 million due to road accidents in 2022.