In May, road accidents claimed the lives of 77 individuals across Laos, marking a notable decrease from the 96 fatalities reported in the previous month. A significant number of these collisions were attributed to speeding.
513 road accidents occurred nationwide, resulting in substantial damage and injuries. The incidents affected 889 vehicles and injured 779 people, a moderate decrease compared to April’s 1,269 damaged vehicles and 1,167 injuries.
Champasack Province reported the highest number of accidents, with 93 incidents resulting in 13 deaths. Vientiane Capital followed with 87 accidents and 10 deaths, while Vientiane Province recorded 53 accidents, though no fatality data was provided.
The report highlighted the primary causes of these accidents: speeding, not yielding, alcohol influence, disregarding traffic signs, and reckless overtaking, with most of the accidents taking place between 5 pm to 12 am.
To further reduce the number of accidents, the Lao government, in collaboration with The European Union (EU), launched a campaign on 24 May to raise awareness of helmet wearing. EU Ambassador to Laos Ina Marciulionyte highlighted reasons for the reluctance to wear helmets, such as the belief that short trips do not require helmets and concerns about how helmets affect appearance, particularly among some girls.
Despite all the regulations enforced by the traffic authorities, violations are still widely prevalent in Laos.
