A road accident in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district. Hong Menea
One of the main objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by traffic accidents by 50 per cent, according to a November 24 press release of the Asian Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP).
Next September, heads of state from around the world will gather to attend the SGD Summit, as part of the UN General Assembly week.
Jean Todt, UN special rapporteur on road safety, spoke at a November 24 workshop to share the results of the second phase of the Safe Driving and Economy Training Programme for Cambodian Truck Drivers.
“To achieve the 2030 SDGs, the world needs civil society organisations such as AIP to drive growth by promoting innovations that will have positive impacts,” he said.
He added that a mobile app which has been developed for truck drivers will help keep them safe on the roads.
The Eco Safe Driving app aims to change drivers’ behaviour by providing knowledge and skills in defensive driving, the efficient and economical use of petrol and in vehicle safety. The platform will empower vehicle operators to drive safely and more sustainably.
Mirjam Sidik, executive director of the AIP Foundation, said in a statement that the main purpose of the app is to improve the behaviour of truck drivers who transport factory workers.
“Encouraging them to use shared public transport means improving safety. They will also receive accurate measurements of fuel economy and the results of their driving behaviour will be assessed through the measurement function of the app,” she added.
The first roll-out of the app was to drivers of workers at five factories in Kandal, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang provinces.
It tracks their driving via GPS to collect data on speed, fuel usage, the distance travelled and behaviour. The data will allow each driver to make improvements.
Min Manvy, secretary-general of the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), said at the workshop that a reduction of traffic accidents would make a great contribution to Cambodia. It would not only protect human life but also reduce poverty.
“The government is highly committed to achieving the UN SDGs,” she said.
“I hope that we can work together to reduce the number of road deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030 in order to ensure a better life for every family,” she added.
According to the Cambodia Road Traffic Accident and Victim Information System, more than 75 per cent of traffic fatalities were motorcyclists, with more than 60 per cent of the deceased not wearing helmets.
Excessive speed was responsible for 38 per cent of fatal crashes, with a failure to give way causing a further 24 per cent, failure to keep right 14 per cent, overtaking and making dangerous turns eight per cent each, and driving under the influence four per cent.
