Lao PDR: 500+ Alcohol-Fueled Road Crashes In 2017 So Far
More than 500 people were killed in road accidents around the country in the first six months of this year, with most of the crashes attributed to driving under the influence of alcohol, and most of the accidents are involving young people.
Staggering numbers of harm
According to the latest report from the Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security there were 3,108 road accidents around the country from January to end of June of this year, with 563 fatalities, 723 people were left in a critical condition, 2,082 were seriously injured and 2,363 people were slightly injured.
Some 636 of the cases involved driving under the influence of alcohol, 143 drivers were below the legal age limit, and 1,765 people did not have a driving licence.
In the same period in 2016, there were 1,373 road accidents around the country, in which 583 people lost their lives and 5,208 people were injured.
The number of road accidents continues to be excessively high and many people are killed because drivers ignore the rules and large numbers drive while drunk.
About 90% of accidents involved driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and other violations of the traffic rules. Many accidents occur on weekends and on special occasions when people get together to consume alcohol.