136 traffic accidents were recorded, killing 111 people and injuring another 54 across Vietnam during the four-day New Year holiday, National Traffic Police Department reports.
This new year’s holiday saw a significant increase in fatalities compared to previous year with about 28 deaths per day, which saw 124 accidents with 67 fatalities over three days.
Most of the accidents this year were road crashes caused by drunk driving, driving in the wrong lane, speeding, changing direction without watching the traffic.
The police handled 15,200 traffic violations, suspended more than 3,300 driving licenses and fined violators a total of US$595,000 during the weekend holiday.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.35 million people die each year worldwide as a result of road traffic crashes. Road traffic crashes cost most countries 3% of their gross domestic product.
More than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. 93% of the world’s fatalities on the roads occur in low- and middle-income countries, even though these countries have approximately 60% of the world’s vehicles. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.