As many as 12,052 traffic accidents were recorded nationwide in the first five months of this year, which showed 2,089 cases less than the same period last year.

The accidents claimed the lives of 4,163 people, which reflected a rise of 0.68 percent (28 deaths) from the corresponding time last year, and held responsible for 12,171 injuries, which represented a year-on year drop of 3,047.

Those figures were unveiled at a national teleconference held by the National Committee for Traffic Safety in Hanoi on May 29 to seek solutions to address the issue.

Transport Minister Dinh La Thang, who is Permanent Deputy Head of the aforementioned Committee, blamed the rise in the death toll especially for an increase in passenger car-related accidents.

Drivers’ bad observance of traffic law was the key reason behind the passenger car-involved accidents with high death toll, the minister noted.

Among 29 provinces and cities with increased death toll, 10 saw an over-30 percent rise, including Dac Nong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Phu Tho, Ninh Thuan, Thua Thien-Hue, Lang Son, Son La, Khanh Hoa and Lao Cai.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked all ministries, branches and localities to take more drastic measures to ensure traffic safety and order.

Reducing the number of accidents, death toll and injuries should be considered a task of the whole political system, stressed the Deputy PM, who is Chairman of the Committee.-VNA