Road fatalities in 2012

Transcription

1 Cambodia Source: IRTAD, National Road Safety Committee Inhabitants Vehicles/1 000 inhabitants Road fatalities in 2012 Fatalities / inhabitants in million Cambodia joined the IRTAD Group in It benefits from a twinning programme with Handicap International, Road Safety for All and SWOV (The Netherlands road safety research centre) to review and audit its road crash and victim information system (RCVIS). RCVIS has been progressively developed since 2004 by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health, with the technical support of Handicap International. Most of the data are available from 2004 onward. In 2013, following the first phase of the twinning project and an in-depth review of the data, The Netherlands recommended to include data as of 2006 in the IRTAD database. 1. Road safety data collection Definitions Road fatality: A person who died immediately after a crash or within the following 30 days. A seriously injured person is defined as a person hospitalised for at least 8 days due to injuries sustained in a crash. At this stage, it is not envisaged to adopt an MAIS-based definition. Data collection The Road Crash and Victim Information System (RCVIS) was initiated and developed by Handicap International (HI), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of the Interior (MoI), and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT). The RCVIS data are reported by traffic police and health facilities nationwide. Currently, the MoH and the MoI are in charge of data collection at provincial level and provide a soft copy to the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC). The NRSC combines data from MoH and MoI, using a data-linkage system, developed with support from SWOV, in the framework of IRTAD twinning. This allows duplicate entries to be automatically identified. In 2012, almost all (97%) road fatalities were reported by the police. Traffic police reported 52% of injuries, and 51% of injuries were reported by hospital or health centre staff. Only 49 hospitals and 38 health centres provided data in Therefore, data on serious injuries are not fully reported. Data as of 2006 have been validated by IRTAD.

2 96 Cambodia 2. Most recent safety data Road crashes in 2012 In 2012, RCVIS reported fatalities, a 3.2% increase compared to On average, road crashes caused more than five fatalities and 15 injuries every day. Motorcyclists are the main victims (68%), followed by pedestrians (11%). Provisional data for 2013 Provisional data for 2013 show a decrease in the number of road deaths. In 2013, there were fatalities, representing a 0.8% decrease compared to Trends in traffic and road safety ( ) Traffic Cambodia is facing a very rapid increase in motorisation. Since 2006, the number of motorised vehicles has multiplied by three. In 2012, only, there was a 14% increase in the number of registered vehicles. Powered two-wheelers account for 80% of the motor vehicle fleet. From 2006 to 2013, the fatalities rate per vehicles decreased rapidly from 18.1 to 7.9. This decrease is due to the huge increase in the number of registered vehicles during the past seven years. Change in the number of fatalities and injury crashes ( ) Since 2006, the number of fatalities increased by 52%. This dramatic increase is explained by the economic boom, the increase in registered vehicles and the young population, as well as the reconstruction of paved roads over the last five years. Road crashes disproportionately affect the most vulnerable road users (motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists), who represented almost 90% of all road traffic casualties in Even though the number of fatalities for vehicles decreased by 9% when compared to 2011, due to the rapid motorisation, the total number of fatalities continues to increase. Traffic crashes have major impacts on both the social economy and welfare of Cambodia and are one of the major causes of mortality in Cambodia. In 2013, however, the situation seems to have stabilised. The number of fatalities decreased by 0.8%. However, the number of crashes and injuries increased. Rates In 2012, the death rate per population was 13.4, a slight increase compared to The death rate per registered vehicle decreased steadily, given the rapid increase in the number of registered vehicles, and reached nine in This is still very high compared to other IRTAD countries.

3 Cambodia 97 Table 1. Road safety and traffic data 2012 % change from Source: IRTAD. Reported safety data Fatalities % 52.2% Injury crashes % Deaths per 100,000 population % Deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles % Traffic data Registered vehicles 1 (thousands) % 203.8% Registered vehicles per 1,000 population) % Figure 1. Road safety and traffic data Index 100 = Fatalities Chart Title Motor vehicles (excl. mopeds) Source: IRTAD. Road users Vulnerable road users (motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists) represent almost 90% of traffic casualties in Cambodia. Riders of motorised two-wheelers are the most vulnerable road users; in 2012, they represented 80% of the motorised vehicle fleet and 68% of all fatalities. 1 Registered vehicles excluding mopeds.

4 98 Cambodia Pedestrians are the second most vulnerable road users (11% of fatalities). The most at risk are children between the ages of 0 and 14, accounting for 33% of total pedestrian fatalities, and elderly people (55+) who account for 17% of pedestrian fatalities. Compared to 2011, the number of motorised two-wheeler riders killed slightly increased, while the number of cyclists killed in a crash rose dramatically. The situation improved for pedestrians. Table 2. Road fatalities by road user group Source: IRTAD. Age 2012 % change from Bicyclists % 6.9% 8.5% Motorised 2 wheelers % 10.8% 21.0% Passenger car occupants % 10.7% 34.8% Pedestrians % -4.6% 0.0% Others incl. unknown % 5.1% 35.5% Total % 8.3% 20.0% In 2012, the age group accounted for 21% of total fatalities, while they represented only 11% of the total population. About 51% of total fatalities are between 15 and 29 years old. The age group also has the highest fatality rate for inhabitants (25.1%). Table 3. Road fatalities by age group 2012 % change from Age % % % % % % % > % Source: IRTAD. Total incl. unknown %

5 Cambodia Figure 2. Road death rates by age group Fatalities per population in a given age group years Death per population in a given age group years years years years 0 Source: IRTAD Road type In Cambodia, the roads are classified as follows: National roads: roads connecting provinces the longest roads compared to other road categories; Provincial roads: connecting districts in one province; Main and minor roads in cities/towns: small/short roads in a city or town; Local road/track: small roads in villages. There is as yet no motorway network in Cambodia. The large majority of fatalities (74%) occur on national roads. 4. Economic costs of traffic crashes It is estimated that in 2012 the annual economic cost of road crashes equalled approximately USD 329 million, a 6% increase compared with This represents 2.3% of the GDP of Cambodia. The capital approach (human capital method) was used to calculate the cost of road crashes.

6 100 Cambodia Table 4. Costs of road crashes, 2012 Costs (USD million) Unit Cost Total Fatalities 84 Injury and disability 236 Property / damage costs 8 Total USD 329 million Total as % of GDP 2.3% Source: National Road Safety Committee. 5. Recent trends in road user behaviour Impaired driving Drink driving The maximum BAC level is 0.5 g/l. There is no differentiated limit for professional drivers and young drivers. A drink-driving related crash is defined as a crash caused by a road user with a BAC over the limit. Drink driving is the second major cause of road crashes and casualties in Cambodia. In 2012, 13% of fatalities were due to drunk driving. Compared to 2011, the number of fatalities decreased by -7%. 80% of at-fault drivers in drink-driving crashes were motorbike drivers, followed by family vehicle drivers (13%). A peak of drink-driving fatalities was observed between 7 and 8 p.m. (19%). Saturdays, Sundays and Thursdays shared high percentages of fatalities (23%, 17% and 17%, respectively). Drugs and driving Cambodia does not have a legal framework nor facilities to enforce drugs-and-driving penalties. Distraction According to the new land traffic law, mobile phones are banned while driving. Hands-free phones can be operated; otherwise drivers must stop their vehicles to use their mobile phones. Speed Excessive speed is the leading cause of traffic crashes in Cambodia: it was responsible for more than 50% of fatalities in The table below summarises the main speed limits in Cambodia.

7 Cambodia 101 Table 5. Speed limits by road type, 2014 Motorcycles, tricycles Cars National roads all vehicles Inside built up areas 30 km/h 40 km/h 40 km/h Outside built up areas 90 km/h 90 km/h 90 km/h Source: National Road Safety Committee. The number of fatalities due to speeding is increasing year by year: this is due to the development of roads and road rehabilitation throughout the country which allows drivers to drive faster. Seatbelts and helmets Seat-belt wearing has been compulsory on front seats since Seat-belt wearing is not compulsory for rear-seat passengers. The rate of use is rather low. Children less than 10 years old are not allowed to sit in the front seats of vehicles without accompanying adults, nor without wearing a seat belt. Babies less than 10 months old must be inside a baby seat and wear the safety belt firmly attached. Children between 10 months and 4 years old must sit in a child seat with the safety belt attached. But here again, the compliance rate is low. Table 6. Seat-belt wearing rate by car occupants General 23% 30% 27% 16% Urban roads (driver) 52% 41% 44% Rural roads (driver) 42% 35% 41% Source: National Road Safety Committee. According to RCVIS 2012, 92% of car occupants killed were not wearing a seat belt. Helmet wearing is compulsory since 2007 for riders of (over 49 cc) motorcycles, for motorcycles with trailers and for motorised tricycles. It is not compulsory for mopeds below 49 cc and is not yet compulsory for the passengers; but it is expected that a legal amendment will be passed in % of motorcycle rider fatalities suffered head injuries in 2011: 69% were not wearing a helmet when the crash occurred. 6. National road safety strategies and targets Organisation of road safety The National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) was established in 2005 as the lead agency for road safety, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport. Its role is to manage and co-ordinate all road safety activities in Cambodia.

8 102 Cambodia Road safety strategy for In order to respond to the current situation with road traffic accidents, the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) has developed the second National Plan for Road Safety , based on the Action Plan developed through UN road safety collaboration to support the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. The Plan was submitted to the Prime Minister and is expected to be approved by the Council of Ministers in early The collaboration between the NRSC, Handicap International, the Dutch Road Safety Institute (SWOV) and Road Safety for All, in the framework of the IRTAD programme, was instrumental in developing this strategy and defining safety targets and relevant performance indicators to monitor progress. The Action Plan consists of seven Pillars : Road Safety Management, Infrastructure, Safe Vehicles, Safe Road User Behaviour, Post-crash Care, Traffic Law Legislation and Enforcement, Driver Licensing. Measures are chiefly focused on the main risk factors, which are the absence of helmets, speeding and drink-driving. Target setting This new Plan includes, for the first time, quantified national targets and safety performance indicators. The main target is to reduce the forecasted number of fatalities by 50% by 2020, as recommended by the UN Report for the Decade of Action. A number of safety performance indicators have been agreed: reduce the forecasted number of fatalities caused by head injuries by a minimum level in 2020; increase the helmet-wearing rate to 100%; reduce the forecasted number of speed-related fatalities by a minimum level in 2020; reduce the prevalence of the excess-speeding rate; reduce the forecasted number of alcohol-related fatalities by a minimum level in 2020; reduce the prevalence of drunk drivers with a BrAC/BAC above the legal limit in 2020.

9 Cambodia 103 Monitoring Figure 3. Trends towards national target Fatalities National target National target Source: IRTAD. 7. Recent safety measures ( ) Monitoring tool With the support of the IRTAD twinning programme, monitoring tools for the safety performance indicators in the 10-year Road Safety Action Plan were developed in early The monitoring tools include: 1. Road Crash and Victim Information System (RCVIS): Number of fatalities and trends (by age groups, road users, provinces, ) Fatalities through head injuries, speeding and drink-driving. 2. Roadside observations: Helmet-wearing rate monitoring Speed measurement: average speed, % of drivers exceeding the limit, etc. Drink driving measurement: rate of drink driving. 3. Roadside surveys/interviews: Knowledge, opinions, attitudes relating to the law, police enforcement, publicity on: Helmets; Speeding; Drink-driving.

10 104 Cambodia Impaired driving Measures against drink-driving started on 1 October Proper equipment and training have been provided to the traffic police in Phnom Penh, Kandal and Kampong Speu. All road-safety stakeholders have also been organising campaigns against drink-driving and encouraging helmet-wearing, in order to inform the public about the importance of wearing a helmet, the consequences of drink-driving, and the coming enforcement measures. Handicap International and Johns Hopkins University are working on monitoring and evaluation of helmet use and drink-driving as part of the RS10 Project in Cambodia. Speed management Speeding is the main cause of road crashes in Cambodia and is responsible for more than 50% of fatalities. Speed is a key risk factor that influences both the risk of road traffic crashes and the severity of injuries. To tackle these issues, the National Road Safety Action Plan has identified speeding as one of its priorities. Since the beginning of 2010, various activities for the prevention of speeding have been initiated. These interventions have been only on a small scale (mainly in the capital city), with limited resources, and have focused on: Strengthening traffic law enforcement: reinforcing the capacity of the traffic police and equipment; Infrastructure improvements: setting up safe school zones; Public awareness: various mass-media campaigns and community-based education programmes. Education and campaigns The majority of road traffic injuries are primarily caused by the specific risk factors of speeding, drinking and driving and lack of a helmet. To reduce these injuries, significant education and public awareness campaigns have been organised by many road safety stakeholders in the country. Key prevention activities for safer road behaviour have been carried out through public awareness campaigns, community-based education and education in schools. Action has been taken to link public knowledge and acceptance of road safety with the enforcement of traffic law, particularly regarding the key risk factors of not wearing a helmet, drink-driving and speeding. During the last five years, civil society has steadily increased its involvement in the road safety field. Stronger participation from road safety-related NGOs, companies, the media, etc., has also been observed. Infrastructure In the National Road Safety Action Plan, actions for infraction improvements have been included as Pillar 2. This pillar has focused on engineering solutions which reduce speed through traffic calming measures and speed management, particularly in zones with a high volume of vulnerable road users, such as schools and residential zones, and in built-up areas. Black-spot improvement programmes along the national road network, as well as road safety audits, have also been included in the pillar. Engineers will be trained in road safety audits and priority will be placed on incorporating audits into road design and infrastructure projects.

11 Cambodia Recent and on-going research Bachani et al. (2012), Helmet use among motorcyclists in Cambodia: a survey of use, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Useful websites and references Cambodia Road Crash and Victim Information System (RCVIS) Contact For more information, please contact: voun.chhoun@gmail.com

12 From: Road Safety Annual Report 2014 Access the complete publication at: Please cite this chapter as: OECD/ITF (2014), Cambodia, in Road Safety Annual Report 2014, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. You can copy, download or print OECD content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from OECD publications, databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided that suitable acknowledgment of OECD as source and copyright owner is given. All requests for public or commercial use and translation rights should be submitted to Requests for permission to photocopy portions of this material for public or commercial use shall be addressed directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at or the Centre français d exploitation du droit de copie (CFC) at contact@cfcopies.com.