68 Killed in Road Accidents Last Month

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Road Accidents Continue to Plague Vientiane Capital

The road toll for Laos in August reached 68, with the majority of accidents being caused by drunk drivers.

Some 68 people were killed and 758 injured in road accidents across Laos during August, with authorities citing drink driving as the number one cause of such accidents.

The Traffic Police Department, Ministry of Public Security, says 586 accidents were recorded on Lao roads throughout the month of August, with over 1,000 vehicles damaged.

While the death toll fell slightly compared to July, the cost of damage was over LAK 6.9 billion, or approximately USD 760,000, according to a report in Vientiane Mai.

The department said drunk driving accounted for 141 accidents, and speeding was the cause of 129 accidents.

A large number of vehicles are unroadworthy, causing traffic problems, while faulty or dangerously placed infrastructure remains a problem as well.

In July, 75 people were killed, 706 were injured and 941 vehicles were damaged.

According to the latest WHO data, published in its global status report on road safety in 2018, road traffic accident deaths in Laos reached 1,058 or 2.48% of total deaths.