The number of traffic accidents in Vietnam has sharply risen this year despite the joint efforts by the police and transportation authorities of the country, local daily newspaper Vietnam News (VNS) reported Monday.
VNS said that as many as 7,710 people died and 22,054 others were injured in 19,217 road accidents since the beginning of this year.
The number of deaths jumped 31.4 percent, injuries rose 16 percent and accidents climbed nearly 12 percent over the same period last year,
Vietnam now has 7,791,698 motorcycles and 520,243 automobiles, VNS said.
The main reason for the increase in traffic accidents, according to a report of the Vietnam's army daily Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army), is that the drivers do not strictly observe the traffic regulations, namely driving too fast, overtaking other cars on the roads against traffic regulations and seizing lanes, etc.
(Xinhua News Agency November 5,2001)
