VietNamNet Bridge - In the first six months of the year, there were 7,648 traffic accidents, killing 6,898 people and injuring 5,903, said senior lieutenant-colonel Tran Son from the Land routes and Railway Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) has said.

According to Mr. Son, in the 2002-2006 period, traffic accidents have increased year by year and the growth rate is higher than the economic growth rate. In 2006 alone, 14,668 traffic accidents occurred, killing 12,719 people and injuring 11,273, of which accidents on roads accounted for 14,161.

While there were 144 serious traffic accidents killing 408 people in 2006, in the first 7 months of the year, 108 serious accidents have occurred, killing 439 people. So there is an increase in the number of traffic accidents, of dead and injured people.

Senior lieutenant-colonel Tran Son stressed that in 2006, on average, 35 people died in traffic accidents each day. “Each year the number of dead due to traffic accidents is equal to the fatalities in 120 storms or 53 wars,” he said.

“Among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, Vietnam ranks fourth in the number of vehicles, sixth in the number of population per vehicle but second (after Thailand) in the number of dead and injured people due to traffic accidents,” he added.

He continued that the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) estimates showed that Vietnam losses 885 million USD annually due to traffic accidents. The money is greater than the total expenses for medicine for 84 million Vietnamese people in 2005 (817 million USD). The loss accounts for 5.5% of the state budget per year. “Compared to the loss of 518 billion USD per year due to traffic accidents all over the world, Vietnam’s loss is very serious,” Mr. Son said.

“Traffic accidents are a national calamity, and are threatening the sustainable development of society,” he stressed.

(Source: CPV/VietNamNet)