| English.news.cn 2014-05-07 13:04:51 |
 
 
|
PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia could save nearly 100 million
U.S. dollars in the next five years if a passenger helmet law is adopted
this year, according to a new study released Wednesday.
The study on the cost and life-savings of the passage of the passenger helmet law was conducted by the Asia Injury Prevention ( AIP) Foundation with an aim to persuade the Cambodian government to immediately enact and enforce a draft traffic law mandating passenger helmet use.
"If the passenger helmet law is passed in 2014 and enforced in the beginning of 2015, helmet use rates among passengers are estimated to increase from 7 percent to 55 percent in 2015 and by 5 percent each following year, reaching 80 percent by 2020," the study results showed. "As a result, roughly 561 fatalities will be prevented, 10,572 head injuries avoided, and 98.6 million U.S. dollars saved from 2015 to 2020."
Pagna Kim, AIP's director to Cambodia, said this analysis demonstrated why the new law was urgently needed in Cambodia.
"We encourage stakeholders, partners, and the media to utilize this evidence in their advocacy efforts for the government to approve and enforce the draft law to reach the target of 80 percent passenger helmet use by 2020," he said during the launching of the study results.
Poeu Maly, secretary general of the National Road Safety Committee, said the study confirmed that the government was making the right move to have passengers, including children, mandated by law to wear helmet.
"The law is now moving forward and we are stepping up our efforts with hope that it will soon be approved and enforced as our goal is to save lives," he said.
Traffic accidents claimed 1,950 human lives and seriously injured 5,670 people last year, he said, adding that the accidents cost the country about 300 million U.S. dollars a year.
"Two thirds of the dead were motorcycle travelers and 66 percent of the victims sustained head injuries," he said. "Only 22 percent of the victims had worn helmets."
The study on the cost and life-savings of the passage of the passenger helmet law was conducted by the Asia Injury Prevention ( AIP) Foundation with an aim to persuade the Cambodian government to immediately enact and enforce a draft traffic law mandating passenger helmet use.
"If the passenger helmet law is passed in 2014 and enforced in the beginning of 2015, helmet use rates among passengers are estimated to increase from 7 percent to 55 percent in 2015 and by 5 percent each following year, reaching 80 percent by 2020," the study results showed. "As a result, roughly 561 fatalities will be prevented, 10,572 head injuries avoided, and 98.6 million U.S. dollars saved from 2015 to 2020."
Pagna Kim, AIP's director to Cambodia, said this analysis demonstrated why the new law was urgently needed in Cambodia.
"We encourage stakeholders, partners, and the media to utilize this evidence in their advocacy efforts for the government to approve and enforce the draft law to reach the target of 80 percent passenger helmet use by 2020," he said during the launching of the study results.
Poeu Maly, secretary general of the National Road Safety Committee, said the study confirmed that the government was making the right move to have passengers, including children, mandated by law to wear helmet.
"The law is now moving forward and we are stepping up our efforts with hope that it will soon be approved and enforced as our goal is to save lives," he said.
Traffic accidents claimed 1,950 human lives and seriously injured 5,670 people last year, he said, adding that the accidents cost the country about 300 million U.S. dollars a year.
"Two thirds of the dead were motorcycle travelers and 66 percent of the victims sustained head injuries," he said. "Only 22 percent of the victims had worn helmets."
Editor:
Fu Peng
No comments:
Post a Comment