VietNamNet Bridge – Information Technology (IT) applications can help reduce traffic accidents by half and considerably ease traffic flow, a leading figure in the IT industry says.

Traffic on the Hoang Cau-Kim Lien T-junction in Ha Noi. Information technology applications can help the city reduce accidents, monitor traffic flows and punish violations more efficiently, experts say.

Truong Gia Binh, president of the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association, said major issues such as speeding, identifying accident hotspots and driving for extended periods of time can be dealt with more effectively by IT applications.

He said up to 75 per cent of accidents took place when vehicles were speeding, so stricter law enforcement and advanced surveillance equipments can help ensure that drivers stay within speed limits.

Other factors that contribute to the high rate of accidents in the country, including the lack of warning signs and poor road conditions also need to be addressed to eliminate accidents, he said.

He noted that the camera installed on the Ha Noi-Phap Van-Cau Gie Highway has recorded over 50,000 violations of the speed limit.

"It's important for drivers to understand that if they break the law, they will be strictly punished. Just by following traffic rules, we can avoid many unnecessary accidents," he said.

At a recent workshop on traffic safety, the Transport Ministry had approved an IT application project using the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) form of investment.

Transport Minister Dinh La Thang, also deputy chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, had called for innovative ideas and the use of technology to improve traffic safety in the country. He called on all concerned agencies to study how this can be done in 2015 and coming years.

VNS