HANOI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of people killed in road crashes in Vietnam has dropped 43 percent from an estimated 30 deaths per day in the years before 2012 to 17 in 2022, online newspaper VietnamNet reported on Tuesday.
Road traffic accidents have been effectively prevented through public awareness and compliance with road traffic laws and safety rules, said Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee.
Road traffic crashes claimed more than 1,400 lives in Vietnam in January-March this year, down 15.2 percent from a year ago, according to the traffic safety committee.
Official data showed that 14.7 percent of the accidents were due to non-adherence to lane driving and careless overtaking, 7.7 percent were caused by unsafe direction changing, 2.2 percent were by driving under the influence of alcohol or substances, 2.1 percent were caused by jaywalking and 1.7 percent due to over speeding.
Road traffic crashes cost Vietnam 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt praised Vietnam for the country's progress on road safety but urged the country to take more concrete steps. ■