Cambodia traffic deaths jump 11 pct in H1 after enforcement pause: interior minister

　　PHNOM PENH, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Road traffic accidents in Cambodia claimed 773 lives during the first six months of 2026, representing an 11 percent increase from the 694 fatalities recorded during the same period in 2025, Interior Minister Sar Sokha said.

　　In a letter to Prime Minister Hun Manet released Friday, Sokha said besides the death toll, the road accidents injured 1,944 others during the January-June period this year, up 32 percent from 1,476 in the same period last year.

　　The Southeast Asian country recorded 1,279 road crashes during this period, a 20 percent increase from 1,066 cases, he said, adding that the primary causes included speeding, a general failure to follow traffic rules and right-of-way laws, reckless overtaking, careless turning, and drunk driving.

　　Sokha, who is also a deputy prime minister, said a surge in road casualties was driven by a temporary suspension of Road Traffic Law enforcement. This freeze followed a border dispute with Thailand and coincided with global fuel price hikes linked to the Middle East conflict.

　　To reduce road accidents and casualties, he requested that the prime minister allow traffic police to reinforce the Road Traffic Law starting Sept. 1, focusing enforcement strictly on high-risk regions like Phnom Penh and the provinces of Preah Sihanouk, Kandal, Kampong Speu, and Svay Rieng.

　　Road accidents cost Cambodia 466 million U.S. dollars annually and remain its leading cause of death and injury, a joint report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the National Road Safety Committee reveals. ■