PHNOM PENH: Minister of Interior Sar Sokha has noted that the suspension of stricter enforcement of Cambodia’s Road Traffic Law during the first half of 2026 contributed to a marked increase in road traffic accidents nationwide. This has prompted him to seek Prime Minister Hun Manet’s approval to resume tougher enforcement from September 1, 2026.
In a report on the rise in road accidents during the first six months of the year, submitted to Prime Minister Hun Manet on July 30, Sokha explained that the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) had previously achieved steady progress in improving road safety, reducing annual road traffic fatalities by 5 per cent for three consecutive years between 2023 and 2025.
He said the achievement was consistent with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.
Although officers increased several road safety initiatives in the first half of the year, the suspension of enforcement led to a significant increase in accidents.
The suspension was part of the government’s poverty reduction policy, as part of efforts to offset the impacts of the border conflict and the global economic effects of the conflict in the Middle East.
Among the initiatives introduced were public education campaigns, road infrastructure improvements, vehicle inspections, the conversion of worker transport trucks from standing to seated arrangements and the construction of “traffic safety gardens” at schools.
“Compared with the same period in 2025, accidents in the first half of 2026 increased by 213, or 20 per cent (1,279 compared with 1,066),” Sokha noted.
“The number of reported fatalities increased by 79, or 11 per cent (773 compared with 694), while injuries rose by 468 people, or 32 per cent (1,944 compared with 1,476),” he added.
The NRSC once again reported that excessive speed was the leading cause of accidents, at 46 per cent, followed by a failure to yield right of way (22 per cent), driving on the wrong side of the road (12 per cent), unsafe overtaking (7 per cent) and “careless turns” (6 per cent).
It claimed that driving under the influence accounted for just 4 per cent of crashes, while failure to obey traffic signals and vehicle defects caused even less.
The highest numbers of accidents were recorded in Phnom Penh with 461, followed by Preah Sihanouk province (92), Kandal (75), Kampong Speu (57) and Svay Rieng (55).
Sokha said the overwhelming majority of crashes were caused by motorists ignoring traffic laws or driving carelessly.
“This clearly shows that many drivers fear police officers more than they fear the law,” he added.
To curb the rising number of accidents, fatalities and property damage, while supporting the government’s poverty reduction policy, Sokha requested approval to resume enforcement of road traffic laws from September 1. He proposed concentrating enforcement in areas with the highest accident rates: Phnom Penh, as well as Preah Sihanouk, Kandal, Kampong Speu and Svay Rieng provinces.
The campaign would focus on offences most closely linked to serious crashes, including speeding, failure to obey right-of-way and traffic light regulations and overloading or carrying unsecured cargo, as well as drink-driving, despite the report claiming that driving under the influence was the cause of just 4 per cent of crashes.
The proposal is awaiting final approval from Prime Minister Hun Manet.- Phonom Penh Post/ANN
