Reducing number of road traffic accidents is the critical issues; traffic accident is the killer, killing people every day on the road. In the first 4 month of 2006, average of 4 was killed by accidents every day. The number is still on rise. There are many factors causing road accident by human error such drunk driving, dangerous overtaking and speeding …etc.
National Assembly is making discussion and passing the Draft traffic law, which is regarded as the important issue to contribute to decreasing traffic accident in Cambodia. The draft law has 12 chapters and 95 articles. The major purpose of law is to limit the speeding of circulating on the road in Cambodia. Drivers will be allowed possibly to drive only 30 to 40 Km per hour in cities and towns. By the way, the law enforces drivers of two and three-wheeled vehicles to wear helmet, while car drivers have to tighten safety belt. Drinking beer and telephoning are banned during driving.
A SRP law maker was quoted by Reaksmei Kampuchea Daily as saying that it is concerned that traffic police will regard the law as the tool to pocket money from the innocent Cambodians as what is presently happening in the city. For other lawmakers from CPP and FUNCIPEC expressed the support of the draft. It is the tool to contribute to reducing traffic accidents and national budget that was spent on accidents.
The draft law imposes punishment on competent agencies all levels who will implement contrarily the stated law and imprisonments them from 6 days to 1 month. Careless drivers causing death will be jailed from 1 year until 3 years and required to compensate 200, 0000 to 500,0000 riel to accident victim as well. The draft is expected to be passed by the National Assembly in the third week of December 2006.
Meanwhile, in order to implement effectively the law and reduce road accident, the government and civil society have to participate in disseminating the law to people throughout the country, as long as educating the traffic police and people to gain the awareness of the law. Previously, most of passed laws were not disseminated widely to Cambodians. When law was implemented, the innocent people is falling the victims. Those are the people from rural areas. By the way, government has to go toward installing features such as traffic signs, lane dividers, and marked school zones and so on. These are the important sings to show drivers to be careful when they see the installed traffic signs.
Recently, the Phnom Penh Municipality issued directive to all Cambodians across the country to install mirror in an attempt to reduce road traffic accident. Until now, some motorcycles were installed mirror. Drivers who installed mirrors do not mean that they participate in reducing accident. What is important is that they are afraid of traffic police to fine them.
More stop lights are definitely needed in Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh. The first time I was in the city, the traffic appears chaotic. Rules and regulations are needed to tame traffic in any major city around the world, and Phnom Penh is no exception.