Monday, July 27, 2009

Cambodian cops despair as road deaths rise

July 27, 2009
By Kounila Keo

Cambodian student Chhin Sothea found out the hard way that it's not enough just to take care when crossing the street in Phnom Penh - a motorcycle hit him from behind as he strolled down the pavement.
He said: "Now I keep an eye on street traffic all the time and when I get on a fast motorbike, my stomach turns."
Stories like Chhin's are common in Cambodia, a rapidly developing country where traffic deaths have more than doubled over the past five years, becoming the second-biggest killer after Aids.
Sem Panhavuth from Handicap International said: "The construction of smoother roads, an ever-increasing number of cars and motorbikes, and bold but often uneducated drivers will become a deadly mix in years to come.

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