Thursday, 19 March 2009

Small decline in helmet use reported

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Mom Kunthear and Meas Sokchea
Thursday, 19 March 2009

Nearly three months since helmet law came into effect, traffic cops say compliance is down.

THE chief of the capital's Traffic Police told the Post Wednesday that officers had recently noticed a slight decrease in the number of drivers complying with the helmet law, a trend he said was fuelled in part by students who "don't respect the law".

The law, which went into effect January 1, makes the wearing of protective headgear compulsory for motorbike drivers.

Tin Prasoer said that roughly 70 percent of motorbike drivers had complied with the law during the first few weeks of the year.

He said that number had since fallen to 60 percent.

"I have a seen a decrease in drivers wearing helmets because people respect the law only for a short time," he said.

"But that does not mean we will stop enforcing the law. We are still strongly enforcing the law and explaining to drivers the importance of wearing helmets."

For the most part, he noted, those motorbike drivers who originally complied with the law continued to do so.

"The decrease in helmet-wearing has been mainly with students who are not afraid of police and don't respect the law," he said.

An enforcement issue?
But Sam Socheata, road safety program manager at Handicap International Belgium, said there was another reason for the decrease: selective enforcement on the part of Traffic Police officers.

"The traffic police don't give out fines everywhere," she said.

"And drivers know now which roads they can drive on and not be in danger of receiving a fine."

Motorbike drivers caught without a helmet must pay a fine of 3,000 riels (US$0.73).

Though she said she believed traffic police officers were "working very hard", Sam Socheata called on them to "enforce the law on all the roads in Phnom Penh".

According to a Handicap International survey, the percentage of motorbike drivers wearing helmets increased from 24 percent to 52 percent between July 2008 and February 2009, a jump Sam Socheata said could be largely attributed to the helmet law.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Applied Range of motion Motor scooters at Inexpensive Price Points

Also visit my homepage ... cosmetic surgery web marketing
Check out my web site - seo for plastic surgeons

Anonymous said...

Instead, put grass clippings to use as mulch for your
garden. Wear disposable gloves to keep from directly touching feces.

The less competition, the better off your plants will be.



Here is my homepage - mulching

Anonymous said...

One of her most popular products are her organic vegetable seedlings, especially the tomatoes, which are cool-weather varieties that
do well on California's foggy Central Coast. Native plants or at least plants adapted to similar conditions as your region will have a better chance of growing and thriving. This will give them time to acclimate to their new environment, avoiding stress and shock often associated with transplanting, ensuring a healthy start.

Check out my webpage changeable

Anonymous said...

I used tο be able to finԁ good info from yοuг aгtiсlеs.


Heге is mу website ...
fast Cash for Cars