Laos recorded a total of 773 road accidents in January, a significant rise of 143 accidents compared to December 2023, according to a report from the Traffic Police Department (TPD).
The accidents inflicted low to moderate damage on 1,387 vehicles, injured 1,192 people and killed 119 individuals, an increase of 284, 241, and 31, respectively, from last month.
Once again, Vientiane Capital emerged as the province with the highest number of accidents, followed by Champasack and Savannakhet provinces.
The report indicated that the primary causes of accidents were intoxicated driving, speeding, sudden changes in direction, noncompliance with traffic signs, and overtaking.
According to the TPD, driving under the influence of alcohol or speeding is strictly prohibited, and law enforcement will treat these violations seriously. Offenders may face arrest and detention.
The large number of accidents in the country had brought attention to the Ministry of Public Security. From January to November last year, Laos recorded 6,182 accidents, causing an estimated LAK 131 billion (approximately USD 6,390,885) in losses.
To reduce accidents, authorities have implemented new rules, such as limiting passenger vehicles’ speed to 80 km/h in cities and setting time limits for carrying goods or passengers.
“119 deaths in a month? That’s like going to war,” said a Facebook user who reacted to the January accident’s statistics.
“This [is all because of] the state of the roads in our country, the [poor] enforcement of traffic laws, and most importantly, people’s subconscious when it comes to driving,” wrote another user, who attempted to explain factors that cause a number of accidents each month.
