PHNOM PENH, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of road fatalities in Cambodia rose to 1,665 people in the first 10 months of 2019, up 10 percent over the same period last year, according to local media Khmer Times on Monday.
Besides death toll, the accidents injured 5,212 others during the January-October period this year, up 33 percent over the same period last year, said Interior Minister Sar Kheng, adding that 3,453 cases of road accidents were recorded during the period this year, up 28 percent over the same period last year.
"About 76 percent of the dead were motorists, and 76 percent of them did not wear helmets," he said at an event here marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday.
"Speed driving, traffic law violation, overtaking driving, and alcohol driving accounted for 37 percent, 24 percent, 9 percent and 6 percent respectively of the accidents," he said, adding that other factors included vehicle problems, drowsy driving, and neglect.
Meanwhile, Sar Kheng, who is also a deputy prime minister, called on the drivers to respect traffic law and urged authorities to strictly enforce the law in order to help reduce road crashes.
Road accidents are a leading cause of death in the Southeast Asian country. The government estimated that road crashes cost the kingdom more than 300 million U.S. dollars a year.
