Traffic accidents claim more than 3,400 lives in 5 months

The Ministry of Transport reports that the country saw 7,490 traffic accidents with 3,476 deaths and 5,762 injuries over the first five months of the year.

The number of traffic accidents fell by 6.66% compared to the same period last year, and the number of deaths and injuries also dropped by 0.43% and 12.52%, respectively.

Despite the decline in traffic accidents and fatalities, the rates are still high. Some serious accidents caused by passenger buses and trucks, railway accidents and recurrences of overloaded vehicles have become contentious public issues.

There have even been cases of threats to aviation safety and security. Traffic congestion in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City remains complicated.

In addition to direct causes such as traffic violations by road users, there are limits in management capacity and traffic law enforcement, while the capacity and quality of transport infrastructure, public transport, and the traffic culture have been developed in an unsustainable manner.

Greater attention should be given to dealing with the challenges so as to reduce traffic accidents by 5-10% in three criteria: the number of accident cases, the number of deaths and injuries, and to ease traffic congestion on main routes and major cities.

VOV