At the scene of a traffic accident in Tien Giang province
 

At a meeting held on December 9, Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the Vietnam National Safety Traffic Committee, said there were 94,024 traffic accidents recorded in the reviewed period, leaving 39,917 people dead and a further 77,477 people injured.

The figures represent sharp falls of 42.71%, 19% and 53% in the numbers of accidents, deaths and injuries respectively compared to the previous five years.

The past 11 months alone saw a total of 6,048 people killed and a further 9,652 others injured in 12,985 traffic accidents that occurred nationwide.

These figures show drops of 13.29%, 20.52%, and 18.26%, respectively, in comparison with the same period from 2019.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic and strict punishments have significantly contributed to a sharp fall in traffic accidents, Hung stressed. He said his committee will continue to implement effective measures in an effort to reduce numbers of traffic accidents and deaths by between 5% and 10% respectively annually.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh requested that both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, two hotspots for heavy traffic congestion, establish a smart traffic control centre and enhance IT application to make a breakthrough in traffic management. VOV