TRAFFIC TOLL

Traffic accidents killed 31 people over the three-day Chinese New Year, a public safety official said on Tuesday – the same number as in 2009. Him Yan, director of the Department of Public Order at the Ministry of the Interior, said that although the number of people who died on the road over the period matched last year’s figure, the overall number of accidents saw a decline. “There were 127 road incidents across the country this year, resulting in 31 deaths, 135 serious injuries and 127 light injuries,” Him Yan said. “Last year, by comparison, there were 166 incidents, resulting in 140 serious injuries, 170 light injuries and 31 deaths.” Him Yan said that the leading causes of accidents during the holiday were speeding and drunken driving. “That’s why we need more Breathalysers and speed radars,” he said. “Right now there are only 24 Breathalyzers and five speed radars in the country.” According to laws introduced in February 2007, drivers who refuse a breath analysis face up to a month in jail and a fine of up to 200,000 riels. Drunken drivers face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to 1 million riels.