Mandalay road death toll rises again

Mandalay road death toll rises again

By The Myanmar Times   |   Monday, 17 June 2013

Mandalay Region's road toll hit an annual high in May, with 24 deaths recorded from 38 serious accidents, a Traffic Police Force spokesperson said.

Accidents in May accounted for 24 fatalities, with another 40 injuries, up from 23 deaths in April, the spokesperson said.

"Most accidents are caused by reckless driving," he said.

He added that while the number of accidents in 2013 is lower than 2012 month-on-month, the number of fatalities has increased.

The spokesperson said motorbikes are frequently involved in accidents and accounted for twice as many deaths as other vehicles – 54 compared with 28.

Ko Soe Naing, a 30-year-old Mandalay resident, said the profusion of motorcycles in the city meant accidents were hard to predict – and avoid.

"In Mandalay you can be hit even if you're following the traffic rules," he said. "My car has been hit by bikes while I'm waiting at traffic lights. We have ... to try and predict what other drivers will do.

"A friend joked to me recently that 'a skillful driver can avoid collisions from either the front or back'. And while he was kidding, I think he's right."

The traffic police spokesperson said officials had determined that 129 of the accidents in the city this year were caused by reckless driving and 21 were caused by the driver speeding.

Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/06/mandalay-road-death-toll-rises-again/