Traffic accidents have killed 2,100 people and injured 3,800 others in the first three months of 2017, which is a decrease compared to the same period last year.

Scene at a traffic accident

The National Committee for Traffic Safety said there were 80 fewer deaths, equivalent to a 3.65 percent drop compared to the same period in 2016, and 687 fewer injuries, down 15.19 percent.

At 4,800, the total number of traffic accidents was down by 175 cases, or 3.51 percent, compared to the corresponding period in 2016.

In March, the country saw 1,347 traffic accidents, with 544 deaths and 1,175 injuries, down by 20, 59 and 20, respectively, year-on-year.

In the latest accident, on March 26, two people died and 10 others were injured when two coaches collided on a section of National Highway 20 that runs across the Central Highland province of Lam Dong.

In the first quarter of 2017, the traffic police handled 986,714 cases of traffic violations nationwide, with a total administrative fine of around 593 billion VND (22.2 million USD). Around 88,000 drivers had their driving licences revoked for breaking traffic rules.

At a teleconference held in Hanoi earlier this month to review traffic safety and to roll out tasks for 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh requested ministries, agencies and localities to work more closely together in order to reduce the number of accidents, deaths and injuries.

Localities nationwide were asked to closely monitor the operations of transport companies specialising in road and internal waterways, especially passenger services. They were also instructed to ensure that traffic infrastructure does not get affected, especially in accident-prone areas on national and local highways and intersections.

This year, Vietnam aims to reduce road and railway accidents by 5 to 10 percent compared to 2016, and at least 5 percent of serious accidents involving railways, inland waterways and coaches.

VNA