Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Worker road deaths spike in ‘15

Worker road deaths spike in ‘15

Worker road deaths spike in ‘15

The number of workers killed and injured by traffic accidents nearly doubled in 2015, according to a report released by the National Social Security Fund yesterday.

In 2015, 130 workers were killed on Cambodia’s roads, compared with 73 in 2014. Injuries, meanwhile, rose to 7,227 in 2015, up from 4,664 the year before.

The total number of accidents increased to 6,491 from 3,800. NSSF director Ouk Sam Vichea blamed the toll on poor driving practices, urging officials to “try and decrease the number this year and in the future”.

William Conklin, country director of the Solidarity Center, said the massive increase was likely due to a mix of better reporting and an increased numbers of vehicles on the road, along with garment factories spreading to more remote locations.

While the government says it has stepped up driver education efforts since yet another crash left four garment workers dead last month, Conklin said bigger issues, such as the predominance of highways with only two lanes, needed to be tackled.

“It’s good they’re working on this, and every initiative can help . . . but we need a more systemic approach.” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry using ChatGPT AI to ‘ease workload’; Khmer version planned

    The Digital Government Committee is planning to make a Khmer language version of popular artificial intelligence (AI) technology ChatGPT available to the public in the near future, following extensive testing. On March 9, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications revealed that it has been using the

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to